As part of the ongoing countrywide celebrations to commemorate the 400th Parkash Purab (birth anniversary) of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday launched a devotional song for a state-level function scheduled to be organized by the state government on 24 April at Panipat.
Addressing a press conference here today, the CM said since March 2021, as part of the celebrations of the 400th Prakash Purab of Hind Di Chadari Guru Tegh Bahaduri various religious and cultural programmes have already been started in some parts of the country. However, due to the Pandemic, most of the programmes in Haryana got postponed but now the state government has decided to organise a state-level function on 24 April, he added.
“In this one day programme devotees from across Haryana and Punjab and other states like Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are expected to participate in large numbers. The function aims to spread the message of communal harmony and brotherhood as preached by Guru Tegh Bahadur,” added Khattar.
The CM said Haryana shares a special bond not only with Guru Tegh Bahadur but with all the ten Sikh Gurus as most of them have travelled to almost every corner of the state. The state youth have a lot to learn from the life of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the greatest humanitarian the world has ever seen, he added.
Khattar said Guru Tegh Bahadur not only protected the Hindus from forced conversions but he also greatly helped the Kashmiri Pandits, who were living under life-threatening pressure from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
“History tells how a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits went to meet Guru Tegh Bahadur to save them from forced conversion. Guru Tegh Bahadur had asked the Pandits to tell Aurangzeb and his army that they are ready for conversion provided their Guru does so. Guru Tegh Bahadur was then made captive and was tortured for conversion but to save Hindus, he sacrificed his life,” he added.