PM: Celebrating Guru Tegh Bahadur’s birth anniv ‘spiritual privilege’ for me

NEW DELHI: Chairing a highlevel committee formed to decide how India will celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh, PM Narendra Modi said on Thursday that celebrating the Guru’s 400th Prakash Purab was a “spiritual privilege” and “a national duty” for him.
At a virtual gathering of the committee comprising former PM Manmohan Singh, home minister Amit Shah, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Punjab CM Amarinder Singh among others, Modi said the country drew inspiration from Guru Tegh Bahadur.
He said the government felt privileged to have the opportunity to celebrate the 550th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the 400th Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur and the 350th Prakash Purab of Guru Gobind Singh. He said the year-long activities should be such that the entire Guru tradition is propagated the world over.
Kharge urged Modi to reach out to farmers protesting against the contentious farm laws, who he said are from Punjab and represent the Guru. “With this, the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji will be celebrated with more enthusiasm,” he said. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh presented the government’s plans to publicise how the Guru believed that religious harmony was only possible when one is not forced to change religion.