Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 13 January, while addressing the Sikh community on Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary said that justice will be given to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“Following the path of Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Nanak Dev, the Centre is today making efforts to give justice to those who faced injustice in 1984 riots. Mothers, daughters and sons have shed tears for decades. The law will now wipe those tears and give them justice,” he said.
PM Modi wished the country on the occasion of Lohri and the 352nd birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, saying his quality of sacrifice for the unity of all irrespective of their caste and religion will inspire generations to come.
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was also present at the event.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Sikh Guru. Guru Gobind Singh's birth anniversary coincided with the festivals of Lohri and Makar Sankranti this year.
Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) is revered by the Sikh community as he founded the 'Khalsa Panth', the warrior Sikh community, at Anandpur Sahib in 1699.
Mistake Made in 1947 Rectified: Modi on Kartarpur
PM Modi also hailed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor between India and Pakistan and said that the “mistake” made in August 1947 was rectified by his government and devotees will now be able to pray at Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan.
“Due to the efforts of the Centre, the Kartarpur corridor will be built soon. Every Indian and Sikh, instead of having to use binoculars, will be able to visit and pray at the Kartarpur Gurudwara. The mistake made in August 1947 has now been rectified. The most important shrine of our Guru was just a few kilometres away but it wasn't included in our country. This corridor is an attempt to rectify this.”
Celebrations for Guru Gobind Singh Birth Anniversary & Lohri Across Nation
Thousands of devotees thronged gurdwaras across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Patna and other places across the country on Sunday to offer prayers on the occasion of 352nd birth anniversary of tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh, IANS reported.
The holiest of Sikh shrines 'Harmandir Sahib', popularly known as Golden Temple, in Amritsar and other gurdwaras elsewhere saw religious fervour to mark the guru's birth anniversary.
People braved the early morning chill to offer prayers at gurdwaras. The rush of devotees continued in most gurdwraas later in the day also.
Heavy rush of devotees could be seen at the Takht Keshgarh Sahib gurdwara in Anandpur Sahib town, around 85 km from here, since early Sunday morning. It was at this place that Guru Gobind Singh founded the 'Khalsa Panth'.
Reports of hundreds of devotees offering prayers at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Patna city in Bihar, the birth place of Guru Gobind Singh, were also received.
Hundreds of people offered prayers at gurdwara Nada Sahib in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, where the guru stayed for a few days during his lifetime.
Gurdwaras across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh were decorated to mark the guru’s birth anniversary. Religious processions were taken out at all places in the region on Friday and Saturday to mark the birth anniversary.
Tight security arrangements were made around all leading Sikh shrines in Punjab in view of recent terror-related incidents in the state. At the Golden Temple complex, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force members and volunteers kept a strict vigil inside the shrine complex.
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