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Chandigarh, Jan 23 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday attended a commemorative programme organised in Punjab’s Samrala in Ludhiana district on the birth anniversary of the great saint, social reformer and pioneer of national consciousness, Satguru Ram Singh Maharaj.

Paying tributes, the Chief Minister described Satguru Ram Singh’s teachings as a guiding light for social transformation and national resurgence. He said, “Satguru’s life continues to inspire a development model rooted in humanity, moral values and national interest”.

Responding to a demand raised by the organising committee, the Chief Minister announced that after due consultation with committee members, the Haryana government would take steps to establish a Chair in the name of Satguru Ram Singh Maharaj. The Chief Minister also paid floral tributes to all Namdhari Sikhs who laid down their lives during the Kuka Movement in the struggle for India’s freedom.

He said that Satguru Ram Singh was a visionary saint who seamlessly linked religion with action, devotion with social reform, and spirituality with national service.

“At a time when India was shackled by colonial rule, social evils were deeply entrenched, and public morale was at its lowest, Baba Ram Singh provided direction and self-confidence to society. Through the Namdhari Movement, he instilled values of self-respect, discipline and dignity, proving that a true saint is one who awakens society, stands firmly against injustice and places humanity above all else,” said the Chief Minister.

He said the Kuka Movement led by Satguru Ram Singh “remains an inspiring chapter of India’s freedom struggle. Launched after 1849 against British rule in Punjab, the movement was not merely economic resistance but a powerful effort to awaken the soul of the nation. Satguru Ram Singh advocated a peaceful struggle through non-cooperation and swadeshi, a path later adopted by Mahatma Gandhi. He promoted the boycott of foreign goods and British institutions, encouraged local self-governance through panchayats, and spread the spirit of self-reliance”.

Referring to history, CM Saini said the Baba Ram Singh movement posed a serious challenge to British authority. Though he was exiled to Rangoon for opposing injustice, his ideas could never be imprisoned.

“The Kuka Movement made it clear to the British that their rule in India would not last long. In an attempt to suppress the movement, 49 and later 16 Namdhari Sikhs were brutally executed by cannon fire in 1872. From 1857 to 1947, the Namdhari struggle continued, and through immense sacrifice, Satguru Ram Singh Maharaj’s dream of freedom was ultimately realised.”

The Chief Minister recalled that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had acknowledged the sacrifices of the Namdhari Sikhs, stating that the nation would always remain proud of the courage and martyrdom displayed by the Namdhari Kukas under the banner of freedom raised by Satguru Ram Singh.

He said the priceless freedom earned through the sacrifices of martyrs must be carefully preserved. In this spirit, the Government of India, under the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, issued a commemorative postage stamp on December 24, 2014, in memory of the martyrs of the Kuka Movement. Drawing inspiration from Satguru Ram Singh’s swadeshi movement, the Prime Minister has also renewed the call for self-reliance in the present era.

--IANS

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