For the second time in four years, PM Modi set for a gesture unheard of among Indian prime ministers

PM Narendra Modi is a leader who does things that are different from the rest of the league. Usually, the Prime Minister of the country used to address the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort only on the occasion of Independence Day. In contrast, this is the second time in PM Modi's regime that an event of national importance is being organized in the Red Fort apart from Independence Day.

On April 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of the 400th Prakash Parv of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur. The PM will also release a coin and a postage stamp in honour of the Prakash Parv of the 9th Guru of the Sikh community. Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said that 400 ‘Ragi Shabad Kirtans’ will be performed at the Red Fort on the occasion.

The two-day long event at the Red Fort will begin on April 20. Home Minister Amit Shah will attend on the first day and inaugurate a multimedia show on the life of Guru Teg Bahadur. This event is being done under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative.

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After all, what is the reason that the central government organized this event at the Red Fort? What is the relation between Red Fort and Guru Teg Bahadur?

To answer this question, we spoke to Dr Guru Tej Singh, who has written several books in Punjabi and English. He said, “Guru Tegh Bahadur ji fought the Mughals to protect the religious freedom of Hindus. The Mughal ruler Aurangzeb sentenced him to death for this. The order of death sentence of Guru Teg Bahadur ji was given from the Red Fort in Delhi."

During the reign of Aurangzeb, when the Hindus were being persecuted, Guru Tegh Bahadur stood before the Mughals to protect them. That is why Guru Teg Bahadur Ji is also called the "Hind Ki Chadar".

The grandson of the first Sikh martyr, Shri Guru Arjan Dev, and the father of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh, was Guru Tegh Bahadur. For the rights of the Hindus, especially the Kashmiri Pandits, he took iron from the Mughals while opposing the forced conversion. On November 24, 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed himself with a smile at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. His great sacrifice is remembered as ‘Shaheedi Diwas’ on this day.

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Earlier in 2018 on October 21, PM Modi had hoisted the Tricolour at the Red Fort. The occasion was to mark the completion of 75 years of the Azad Hind government formed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Senior journalist K Vikram Rao said, "This is the first government under which such events are being held at the Red Fort. Earlier, there were only Independence Day events. Such programs should have been done by earlier governments too. There must be a job of awakening the consciousness of the nation. This is something that is useful in the national interest."