Rajnath Singh, the minister of defence
On Sunday, Rajnath Singh, the minister of defence, reminded people of the Sikhs’ role to the Ram temple movement and used an 1858 police complaint to support his claim that Sikhs were the movement’s original initiators.
“According to government records, an FIR registered on December 1, 1858, stated how unarmed Sikhs raising the cries, hailing Guru Govind Singh ji had taken over the entire Ram temple complex and had written ‘Ram Ram’ on the entire complex. So as per this, the Ram Temple movement started with Sikhs,” Singh said.
Sikh community made great contribution to Ram temple movement
“I believe that the community has made a great contribution to the Sanatani cause,” he said during his visit to Alambagh Gurudwara as he concluded his two-day visit to the state capital. Praise befitting the community, he reminded how the Sikhs had previously established their dominance as far back as Afghanistan.
“Who can forget Raja Ranbir Singh ji who not only put up a golden canopy on Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple Amritsar) but also got a similar thing done at Baba Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi which was later looted. I believe that the golden canopy at Amritsar temple is a reminder to the golden era of our cultural history and for which the Sikh community made great and unforgettable sacrifices,” he added.
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Defence minister: “Sikhs have made most sacrifices for the country…”
“I think Sikhs are the only community whose people have made most sacrifices for the country and whose presence in the armed forces is far more in comparison to their overall population. There are many who also question the community’s contribution to freedom movement. I would like to remind such people of the sacrifice by Guru Tegh Bahadur who got beheaded for the sake of the country. The sacrifice by Guru Gobind Singh ji and the ‘Khalsas’ are also a part of the same great tradition,” Singh added.
The defence minister said he was also aware of the history of the Sikh regiment. “Whenever I visit the soldiers and they raise the cry of ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal’, then raising the slogan along with them one is filled with indescribable happiness. Due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push, December 26 is observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh ji’s sons. The contribution of the community can never be forgotten and the community’s role in building of New India is also a significant one,” he added.
