Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the supreme sacrifice of Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur at the 400
^th Parkash Parv, saying the wave of religious fanaticism of a cruel ruler like Aurangzeb had posed a threat to the identity of Hindustan but he stood like a rock against it and protected the country.

Recalling the Mughal rule of Aurangzeb four centuries back, Prime Minister Modi said, “At that time, a wave of religious fanaticism had swept the country. Hindustan, which considered religion as a matter of philosophy, science and soul-searching, was confronted with people who had crossed all limits of violence and atrocities in the name of religion.”

In those circumstances, a big hope for saving the identity of India emerged in the form of Guru Teg Bahadur. “Against the cruel thought of Aurangzeb at that time, Guru Teg Bahadur stood like a rock, a “Hind ki chaadar’,” Modi said.

The sacrifice of Guru Teg Bahadur has given inspiration to several generations to fight for protecting the cultural ethos of the country, to live and die for it, the prime minister asserted.

“Several big storms subsided and regimes lost sway but the nation stands eternal today and is moving towards progress,” Modi said.

The Modi-led BJP government has reached out to the Sikhs strongly since the Punjab elections a few months ago. The breaking up of BJP’s alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal and the partnership with Captain Amarinder Singh not bringing any gains, the saffron party is now aggressively wooing the Sikh community on its own. Modi had received a delegation of Sikhs some weeks back where the plan for the 400
^th Parkash Parv on such a large scale got a boost.

In his speech on Thursday, Modi mentioned that his government has declared December 26 as Veer Bal Diwas to mark the sacrifice by Sahebzade of Guru Govind Singh who were walled alive by the Mughal rulers. The PM said a pilgrimage circuit is being built for the Sikhs. Other measures include construction of a ropeway in Uttarakhand near Hemkund Sahib.

Modi said the Sikhs stranded in Afghanistan were safely brought to India and can get citizenship here. He also emphasised that the Guru Granth Sahib was respectfully brought to India from Afghanistan to prevent any sacrilege (after the Taliban took over).

Modi appreciated the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters, including Sikhs, and said we are in this position today due to their efforts.

The Prime Minister also released a Rs 400 coin and a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.