Government committed to bringing back Sikh artefacts: PM

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said, of late, the Central Government has been successful in bringing the ‘saroop’ of the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan to India.

“What can be a greater experience of Guru’s grace than this,” the Prime Minister said while virtually addressing Gurpurab celebrations of Guru Nanak at Gurdwara Lakhpat Sahib in Gujarat's Kutch district.

During his US visit in September, the Prime Minister recalled that America returned more than 150 historical objects to India. These included a ‘pesh kabz’ or a small sword, on which the name of Guru Hargobind is written in Persian. “It is the great fortune of this government to be able to do all this'," he observed.

The Prime Minister also underlined that the Centre regularly celebrates auspicious occasions in Sikh history and mentioned the hosting of 350th Prakash Purab of Guru Gobind Singh and 550th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev. Currently the 400th Prakash Utsav of Guru Teg Bahadur is celebrated. The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, which was awaited for decades, was completed in 2019 by the government.

The Prime Minister also recalled the contribution of the Gurus in times of subjugation and attacks by the invaders. Guru Nanak Dev, he said, was clear in his understanding of the danger that Babar’s invasion posed for India, Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice against Aurangzeb taught the country to fight against terror and religious fanaticism, and Guru Gobind Singh Sahib was a living example of tenacity and sacrifice. In recent times, Sikhs fought tenaciously for the country’s independence even under British rule.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that in such an important period, nobody hurts our dreams and the unity of the country. To achieve the dreams for which our gurus lived and sacrificed their lives, we should all remain united. Unity is essential for us all.  The dangers against which the gurus alerted us remain the same even today, so we have to be alert and also ensure that the country remains secure,” he said.

Every year from December 23 to 25, the Sikh Sangat of Gujarat celebrates the Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev at Gurudwara Lakhpat Sahib. Guru Nanak stayed at Lakhpat during the course of his travels and the Gurudwara there has his relics including wooden footwear and palkhi (cradle) as well as some manuscripts.