Chief Patron of the NID Foundation and Chancellor of Chandigarh University and my friend Shri Satnam Singh Sandhuji, all the members of the NID Foundation and all the respected colleagues! I am privileged to know some of you and meet you quite often. Going to Gurudwaras, contributing to service, enjoying ‘langar’ and staying at the homes of Sikh families has been a very natural part of my life. Sikh saints also come at the Prime Minister's residence from time to time. I often get the good fortune of their company.
Brothers and sisters,
I feel proud when I meet members of the Sikh community on my foreign trips. Many of you will remember my trip to Canada in 2015! I knew Dalai ji when I was not even the Chief Minister. This was the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Canada in four decades and I had not only been to Ottawa and Toronto. I remember expressing my wish to go to Vancouver. I went there and had the privilege of bowing my head at Gurudwara Khalsa Diwan. I had very good exchanges with the Sikh community. Similarly, I had the privilege of visiting Bhai Ganga Singh Sabha Gurudwara in Tehran when I went to Iran in 2016. Another unforgettable moment in my life is my visit to the Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial in France! This memorial pays tribute to the Indian soldiers, a large number of whom were our Sikh brothers and sisters, for their sacrifice during World War I. These experiences are examples of how our Sikh society has acted as a strong link in cementing ties between India and other countries. It is my good fortune that today I have got an opportunity to strengthen this link further and I keep making every effort in this regard.
Friends,
Our Gurus have taught us the courage and a sense of service. The people of India went to different parts of the world without any resources and achieved success through their efforts. This spirit has become the spirit of the new India today. New India is touching new dimensions and leaving its mark on the whole world. This period of the Corona pandemic is the biggest example of this. At the beginning of the pandemic, people with an old mindset were expressing concerns about India. Everyone kept saying something or the other. But, now people give the example of India. Earlier, it was being said that from where India with such a large population will get the vaccines and how people's lives will be saved? But today India has emerged as the biggest vaccine manufacturer. Crores of vaccine doses have been administered in our country. You will also be proud to know that our own Made-in-India vaccines account for 99 percent of the total vaccination. During this period, we have emerged as one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world. The number of our unicorns is constantly increasing. It is our diaspora whose head is held high due to this growing stature of India and increasing credibility. When the respect of the country grows, then the respect of lakhs of crores of people of Indian origin also grows equally. The world's view regarding them changes. With this respect come new opportunities, new partnerships and a stronger sense of security. I have always considered our diaspora as the national ambassador of India. What the government sends (to Indian missions in foreign countries) is the ambassador. But you are the national ambassador. All of you are the loud voice of Maa Bharati, the lofty identity, while residing outside India. Your chest also swells and your head also holds high with pride when you see the progress of India. You continue to worry about your country even while living abroad. Therefore, you have a huge role to play in furthering India's success and strengthening India's image while living abroad. Wherever we live in the world, ‘India First, Nation First’ should be our main spirit.
Friends,
All our ten Gurus had united India by keeping the nation paramount. Guru Nanak Dev ji had awakened the consciousness of the entire nation and brought the entire nation out of darkness and showed the path of light. Our Gurus traveled all over India from east to west and north to south. Wherever you go, you will find their testimonies, inspirations and people’s faith in them. From Gurudwara Harmandir Sahib Ji in Punjab to Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand, from Gurudwara Huzur Sahib in Maharashtra to Gurudwara Paonta Sahib in Himachal, from Takht Shri Patna Sahib in Bihar to Gurudwara Lakhpat Sahib in Kutch, Gujarat, our Gurus inspired the people, purified the land with their feet. Therefore, the Sikh tradition is actually a living tradition of 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat'.
Brothers and sisters,
Entire India feels grateful for the contribution made by the Sikh community to the country in the freedom struggle and even after independence. Be it the contribution of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the battle against the British, or Jallianwala Bagh, without them neither the history of India is complete nor India is complete. Even today, from the valor of the Sikh soldiers posted on the border to the participation of the Sikh community in the country's economy and the contribution of the Sikh NRIs, the Sikh community remains synonymous with the country's courage, strength and the travails.
Friends,
The Amrit Mahotsav of freedom is an occasion to celebrate our freedom struggle as well as our culture and heritage, because India's struggle for independence is not just an event of a limited period. Thousands of years of consciousness and ideals were attached to it. Spiritual values and so many sacrifices were attached to it. Therefore, when the country celebrates the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom, on one hand, it also celebrates the 400th Prakash Parv of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji at the Red Fort. Before the 400th Prakash Parv of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, we also celebrated the 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev ji with full devotion in the country and abroad. We were privileged to celebrate the 350th Prakash Parv of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Friends,
The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was also constructed during this period. Today lakhs of devotees are privileged to pay their respects there. The country is making every effort today from making ‘langar’ tax- free, giving FCRA permission to Harminder Sahib, increasing cleanliness around gurudwaras to connecting them with better infrastructure. I thank Satnam ji for the video presentation which shows how the work has been carried out in every field with full devotion. It is my endeavor to take the country forward on the path of service through your suggestions from time to time and today also you have given me many suggestions.
Friends,
The biggest inspiration we draw from the lives of our Gurus is the realization of our duties. This mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas' ensures the bright future of India for all of us. These duties are not only for our present, but also for our future as well as for our country. These are also for our future generations. For example, the environment is a huge crisis for the country and the world. Its solution lies in the culture and traditions of India. The Sikh society is a living example of this. In Sikh society, as much as we care about the villages, we do as much about the environment and the planet. Be it efforts against pollution, fighting malnutrition, or protecting cultural values, you all seem to be associated with every such effort. I have one more request for you. You know that the country has resolved to develop 75 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) in each district. You can also run the campaign for constructing Amrit Sarovars in your villages.
Friends,
We see the influence of our Gurus’ lessons of self-respect and dignity of human life in the life of every Sikh. This is the resolve of the country today in this ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence. We have to become self-reliant and improve the life of the poorest of the poor. Active participation and contribution of all of you in all these efforts is very essential. I am sure that with the blessings of the Gurus, we will be successful and soon we will realize the goal of a new India. With this determination, I thank you all very much. Your visit holds very importance to me and I want this blessing to continue. I always say that this prime minister's residence is not Modi's house. This is your jurisdiction, this belongs to you. With this spirit of belongingness, we should always work together for Maa Bharti, for the poor of our country and for the uplift of every society of our country. May the blessings of the Gurus be upon us! With this spirit, I once again thank you all. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh.
