New Delhi, Dec 24: Paying homage to the Sikh Gurus who sacrificed their lives for the unity, independence, and culture of our motherland will not be allowed to be undermined or weakened, said Adv. Alok Kumar, Central Working President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) here recently.

Speaking at a seminar on “Common Culture of Bharat and the Challenges confronting it” Alok Kumar said that Sikh Gurus like Guru Teg Bahadur ji and Guru Gobind Singhji is revered with great honor and reverence by the Sikhs and Hindus equally. They sacrificed their lives for liberating the motherland, preserving and protecting our Dharma and Sanskriti. We will not allow the common cultural thread to weaken at any cost, he added. He said Dharma teaches us to stay united even though we profess different faiths and ways of worship. Every ‘Sampradaya’ born in Bharat has always professed the underlying unity of people and motherland and this bond is unbreakable, he said.

The seminar was organized at Constitution Club by Govind Sadan Institute for Advanced Studies in Comparative Religion. Mahant Gyandev Maharaj of Panchayati Nirmal Akhada, Hardwar, in his presentation said that it is our bounden duty to take the teachings of Sikh Gurus who did not hesitate to sacrifice their three generations at the altar of the motherland and keep the people inspired to work for the society and country.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said that the Bharatiya society and its faith in Dharma is for the ultimate welfare of humanity and the world and the world community is aware of this reality. We are proud that the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is a family) disseminated from our motherland, she said.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Som Prakash said that so long as crematoria and Gurudwaras remained divided on the caste and clan basis, the mission of the Gurus to create a society based on equality would not be accomplished.

Among other speakers, Jathedar of Patna Sahib Gyani Iqbal Singh, Baba Hakam Singh of Sarhali, Sardar Manjit Rai Singh Rai, a former member of the National Minority Commission, Dr. Surjit Kaur Joly, a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), were prominent. The program was attended by office-bearers of various institutions, representatives of various matas and sampradayas, and others.