INVC NEWS
New Delhi ,
The National Commission for Minorities held a meeting with the Sikh Intelligentsia today for inviting suggestion/advice for commemoration of the Veer Bal Diwas. The meeting was presided over by the Chairman of National Commission for Minorities, Shri Iqbal Singh Lalpura. Smt Rinchen Lhamo, Member, National Commission for Minorities and senior officials of NCM were also present in the meeting.
Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has announced that 26 December will be observed as Veer Bal Diwas to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji (7 years old) and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji (5 years old), who were martyred in Sarhand by prisoning them alive by bricking them in the walls on 26th December, 1704. Thereafter, the Government of India has decided to commemorate December 26 as Veer Bal Diwas. In order to make this event more meaningful, the Commission invited eminent personalities and intellectuals from Sikh community to provide their suggestions.
Chairman of National Commission for Minorities, Shri Iqbal Singh Lalpura hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to mark December 26 as Veer Bal Diwas. Expressing gratitude towards the Prime Minister ,Chairman, NCM said, “We appreciate Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recognizing supreme-sacrifice of the four Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh ji by marking December 26th as Veer Bal Diwas.”
He further added that, “It has been more than 318 years since the martyrdom of Sahibzadas, however, we are yet to name any institution after them as a tribute to their sacrifice. We need to make an effort in this direction. It is necessary to institute a National Bravery Award in the name of Sahibzadas. The story of the Sahibzadas needs to be disseminated far and wide within India and across the world.”
The National Commission for Minorities received various suggestions for a meaningful observance of the ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ on 26 December, 2022. Most of the suggestions were focussed on generating awareness about the sacrifices of the Sahibzadas across the country, making use of literature and culture for the same, including the story of Sahibzadas in the school syllabus and promoting it through comics and short films among the students in all the languages and States of India. The National Commission for Minorities will take up these suggestions with the PMO and the Ministry of Culture for making commemoration of the Veer Bal Diwas, a grand success.
