A book titled “Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur: The Saviour of Democratic Values,” penned by Dr. Arvinder Singh Bhalla, Principal of Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Ludhiana, was unveiled today at Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh by Banwari Lal Purohit, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh.
Governor Purohit, reflecting on the sacrifices made by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur for the defense of Indian traditions, human rights, and religious freedom, expressed his strong belief in embracing the democratic principles advocated by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur. He emphasized the need to draw inspiration from the divine teachings, democratic concerns, and exemplary sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur in the present times.
Purohit congratulated Principal Dr. Bhalla on the book, commending his persistent work and highlighting the book’s potential to provide a comprehensive understanding of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s life, teachings, and contributions across social, cultural, religious, and political perspectives.
Satya Pal Jain, Ex-MP & Additional Solicitor General of India, underlined Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s staunch opposition to Aurangzeb’s policy of religious fanaticism, political absolutism, and intolerance four hundred years ago. He praised Dr. Bhalla’s book as incredibly valuable for those involved in Sikh Studies, noting that it beautifully depicts
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s contribution to the propagation of democratic ideas.
Dr. Bhalla highlighted Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s strong condemnation of religious intolerance in the seventeenth century and the supreme sacrifice made to defend justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, human rights, and a multicultural society. He emphasized the continued relevance of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teachings and called for their embrace by the global community in the current circumstances.
The book illuminates the eternal message, universal teachings, democratic concerns, and unparalleled martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur. Dr. Bhalla expressed gratitude for the support and guidance from Dr. S. P. Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and Padma Shri Dr. Harmohinder Singh Bedi, Chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh.
In addition to his administrative duties, Principal Dr. Bhalla is actively engaged in research, having authored over eighty research papers and fifteen books. He has successfully completed two research projects funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi (ICSSR).
