New Delhi, December 26, 2025:
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday said that Veer Bal Diwas is not merely a day of remembrance but a public acknowledgment of India’s civilizational conscience that was ignored or deliberately sidelined for decades. Speaking at a commemorative event held at Thyagraj Stadium on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas, Sood said the bravery, sacrifice and martyrdom of the Sahibzadas represent the soul of India and its unwavering commitment to truth, righteousness and resistance against injustice.
Addressing students, educators and dignitaries, the minister said the sacrifice of the Sahibzadas is not the legacy of any single community but a defining chapter in India’s collective moral and cultural history. He described it as the story of India’s आत्मा—an inner strength that stands with truth, refuses to compromise with injustice and draws courage from dharma. This tradition, he said, flows directly from the vision of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, where nation, faith and morality move together towards a shared and higher purpose.
Sood raised questions over why, for decades after Independence, such heroic narratives were kept away from India’s youth. He asked why the education system reduced ideals such as courage, sacrifice and standing up for dharma to footnotes, despite their central role in shaping the nation’s moral foundation. According to him, this was not an accidental omission but a conscious outcome of ideological slavery rooted in the Macaulay mindset, which sought to disconnect Indians from their ancestors and reduce society to a rootless neutrality.
He said the sacrifice of the Sahibzadas was inconvenient for this line of thinking because it inspired faith, selflessness and the courage to stand firmly against injustice—qualities that uncomfortable power structures often fear. Such narratives, he added, instill moral clarity and a sense of duty, which do not align with ideologies that prefer silence, compromise and detachment from civilizational roots.
The education minister said the grand observance of Veer Bal Diwas today is proof that India has decisively moved beyond this colonial mindset under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He recalled that on January 9, 2022, the Prime Minister declared December 26 as Veer Bal Diwas on the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Prakash Purab. According to Sood, this decision was not a symbolic gesture but a clear ideological statement that India will now draw strength from its history rather than shy away from it.
He further said initiatives such as the Kartarpur Corridor and the safe return of sacred Sikh relics reflect a consistent vision of respect, responsibility and cultural continuity. These actions, he noted, demonstrate a governance philosophy that honours faith, history and national duty in equal measure.
Referring to major Sikh commemorations in recent years, Sood said that events like the 550th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the 350th Prakash Purab of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the 400th Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji were not political occasions, but the fulfilment of a long-overdue responsibility towards the Gurus, society and the nation. Veer Bal Diwas, he said, serves as a reminder of this shared sense of duty and gratitude.
In this context, Sood highlighted that the Delhi Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, formed after a gap of 27 years, believes that respect cannot be limited to speeches or symbolic gestures alone. He said true respect is reflected through policy, institutional action and sensitivity towards all communities. Over the past ten months, the government has worked with a spirit of inclusivity, ensuring that governance reflects empathy, cultural awareness and mutual respect.
Concluding his address, the education minister said Veer Bal Diwas is not just an event but a powerful medium to educate children about the deeper meaning of history. He said students in Delhi’s schools are being taught that history is not shaped by dates alone, but by values such as courage, justice, sacrifice and civic responsibility. Drawing lessons from the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas, students are learning the importance of standing up for truth and serving society with integrity.
Sood described this approach as true education and true nation-building, stating that when children connect with the moral foundations of India’s history, they grow into responsible and value-driven citizens. He expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for supporting and encouraging such initiatives, which, he said, will leave a lasting impact on the minds of young learners and strengthen the moral fabric of the nation.
