The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, released a book titled “The Illustrated History of the Sikhs” written by Shri Khushwant Singh at a function here today.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister observed that the history of Sikhs is a history of great and ‘exceptional heroism’ and Sikhism stood for a value system which even today appears most modern. It is characterised by intense humanism, hard work, fight for righteousness, brotherhood of mankind and commitment to fight against injustices, he said. In the process, he noted that the Sikhs suffered a great deal but they never lost courage and self-confidence. The Prime Minister said that the future of Sikhs is intimately linked to the growth and development of the country and that Sikhism and patriotism are synonymous.
Referring to a dark period in 1980s in which some people tried to wean away the Sikhs from the mainstream of our life, Dr. Singh declared that it is a great tribute to the people of India and our institutions enshrined in the Constitution that this dark phase is a thing of past. He added that the Sikh community has regained its confidence and is flourishing in all parts of the world.
Dr. Singh noted that the Sikh community and all segments of Indian society have to be grateful to Shri Khushwant Singh for being a chronicler of this fascinating story. Congratulating Shri Khushwant Singh for writing a book on a very important subject, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that the young people in the Sikh community would read it. Dr. Singh said that he was happy to participate in a function which in a way celebrates the life, times and works of Shri Khushwant Singh. The Prime Minister paid tributes to the versatile personality of Shri Khushwant Singh by saying that his was a truly “creative life”.
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YSR/VSR/CS
(Release ID :14927)