Kovind, Modi pay homage to Guru Gobind Singh

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday paid homage to the tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh on his 352nd birth anniversary.“Homage to Guru Gobind Singh on his birth anniversary. He devoted his life to serving the people and upholding truth, justice and compassion. The example and teachings of Guru Gobind Singh continue to inspire us,” Kovind tweeted.In his tweet, Modi said: “I bow to Sri Guru Gobind Singhji on his jayanti.”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. The festivities this year coincided with the festivals of ‘Lohri’ and ‘Makar Sankranti’. Kovind also exchanged greetings on the occasion of various festivities celebrated across the nation today.“As the sun enters Capricorn, and the weather begins to change and harvesting season begins in many parts of our country, greetings and good wishes to fellow citizens as we celebrate Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Bhogali Bihu, Pongal, Uttarayan and Poush Parbon,” he said in another tweet.“This festive occasion, which is celebrated in diverse yet similar ways across India, is a moment to celebrate the hard work and perseverance of all our people, especially farmers. May it herald prosperity and good fortune across the country.”At another event yesterday, Modi said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is committed to ensuring justice to the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims and asked why the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was allowed to go to Pakistan during partition when it was close to the border.Addressing a gathering after releasing a Rs350 commemorative coin to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh here, Modi said his government was pledged to facilitate the smooth entry of Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor.“The gurdwara was just a few kilometres away but it was not brought in India. Building the Kartarpur corridor is an honest attempt to recompense that loss. It is an act of repentance for the mistake that happened in August 1947,” he said.The prime minister also said that the BJP government would ensure that justice was provided to “all sisters and mothers” who were victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi.“The Central government is working to provide justice to those who have been subjected to injustice since 1984,” he said. Modi also said that his government had asked all Indian embassies to celebrate the 352nd ‘Prakash Utsav’ of Guru Gobind Singh.Calling Guru Gobind Singh a “multi-talented personality”, Modi said the Sikh master was not just a warrior but a poet and literary figure whose values could be found in the foundation of new India.