New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Bhai Mani Singh was on Sunday hailed as a great martyr and the father of medieval Sikh textual scholarship who reunited the fragmented literature of the religion.

The speakers at the ‘Bhai Mani Singh Memorial Lecture’ held here included eminent personalities from the worlds of spirituality, law, and education, including the chief guest, the most revered ‘Nirmala Sant’ Dr Rameshwaranand from Pushkar Ashram and the programme’s chairman, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Chief Granthi, Gurudwara Sri Bangla Sahib, said a statement.

The national function organised by Bhai Mani Singh Research and Study Institute Trust also included the release of a special booklet, “Bhai Mani Singh Ji, the Great Martyr of Sikh History.”

Key speakers at the event included Professor Jagbir Singh, Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda; Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri, former Vice Chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh; and Gurcharan Singh Gill, Additional Advocate General, Rajasthan.

Agnihotri, while throwing light on the glorious history of the Vanjara (Banjara) community, said that Bhai Saheb’s family was the bearer of the Kshatriya and sacrificial tradition of Raja Bhoj, whose total 36 brave men happily sacrificed their lives for the ideological sovereignty of the country and religion.

Bhai Ranjit Singh, who presided over the programme, summed up the topic in his presidential address, saying in poignant words that Bhai Mani Singh’s life is a unique example of “weapons and scriptures,” teaching us that worldly power can cut a human body into pieces, but can never conquer his conscience, resolve, and righteousness.

He added that today, when millions of Sikhs around the world remember the “Band-Band Kataye” heroes in their daily prayers, Bhai Mani Singh’s scriptural purity and martyrdom stand as the greatest guide to our cultural roots.

On behalf of the Trust, Gurlad Singh delivered a lecture and highlighted the life of Bhai Mani Singh, underscoring the need to spread his message to the masses.

On this occasion, all the guests present on the main stage were honoured and felicitated by the institute by presenting them with a beautiful model of ‘Shri Harimandir Sahib’ and a shawl as a symbol of respect and reverence for their invaluable time and guidance.

–IANS

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