Context: December 26 is observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas‘ to mark the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh ji’s sons, Baba Zoravar Singh and Fateh Singh.

About Veer Bal Diwas 

• Origin of the Day: On the occasion of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on 9th January 2022, the Prime Minister announced that 26th December would be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’.
• Significance of the Veer Bal Diwas
  • Remember martyrdom: On the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas, the martyrdom of Guru’s sons is remembered, and commemorated with great vigour and very acute sadness, by the Sikh community every year.
  • Awareness among Children: It is an occasion to inform and educate people, particularly young children, about the tale of the heroic bravery of the Sahibzades.
• Events to Commemorate: 
  • Events such as essay writing contests, quiz contests, and other similar ones will be planned in schools and colleges all across the nation as part of this project
  • Public locations such as airports, gas stations, and train stations will be hosting digital exhibitions at the event.

Story of Chaar Sahibzaade

• About: Chaar Sahibzaade refers to the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji, who were martyred during the period of clashes with the Mughal Empire.
  • The incident of martyrdom took place on two days: 21st December and 26th December 1704. On 21st December two sons of the Guru were martyred and the other two on 26th December.
• Background: Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru of Sikhs was staying with his family and devotees in Anandpur Sahib.
  • Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s act of raising the Khalsa for the protection of religiously persecuted groups was considered a direct threat to the Mughal Empire.
  • Mughals tried hard to dislodge the Sikhs from Anandpur Sahib in the 17th century but failed. As a last resort, the Mughals laid an intense siege on the town.
  • The supplies were cut off and sustaining in Anandpur Sahib looked difficult. The Guru agreed to give up the fort and the Mughals agreed not to attack the people.
• Parivar Vichhora: 
  • On the chilly night of December 20, the Guru, the four Sahibzaade, Mata Gujari Kaur, Guru’s mother, Mata Jeeto, Guru’s wife, the five Panj Piaras, and a few hundred Sikhs left Anandpur Sahib for Ropar.
  • On the intervening night, the Mughals broke their vow and attacked Guru’s entourage near the Sarsa rivulet, about 25 kms from Anandpur Sahib.
  • During the confusion, the Guru’s family got separated and the spot is now known as “Pariwar Vichhora”.
  • Guru Gobind Singh ji with two elder sons, 5 Panj Piaras, and 40 Sikhs proceeded towards Chamkaur and reached on 21st December.
• The Battle of Chamkaur Sahib:
  • In Chamkaur Sahib, the Guru and his accomplices were surrounded by the 10 lakh-strong Mughal army. 
  • The Sikhs held negotiations, which failed. The Sikh army decided to fight the Mughals. During the negotiations, the Guru was allowed to escape to safety.
  • All the Sikhs fought bravely against an army of Mughals. Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh, the Vaada Sahibzaade, attained martyrdom in the battle at a tender age of 18 and 14 years respectively.
• Capturing: 
  • During the battle, Mata Gujari and Guru’s two youngest sons, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh got separated from the rest of the Sikhs.
  • They were offered shelter by a former servant, who betrayed them for greed of money, disclosing their location to the Mughals. 
• Bricking Alive of Sahibzaade:
  • The three prisoners were imprisoned in the Open Tower (Thanda Burj) in Sirhind, in chilling winters with no mats to sleep on, just strands of straw as their bedding.
  • The Sahibzaade were taken to Wazir Khan, the Governor of the province. He promised to spare their lives if they converted to Islam.
  • The Sahibzaade refused to convert. Wazir Khan ordered them to build a brick wall around them and they attained martyrdom.
  • After hearing about the bricking alive of Chhote Sahibzaade, Mata Gujari also passed away due to the shock of the news.

About Guru Gobind Singh Ji

• About: Guru Gobind Singh Ji was the tenth and the last human Guru of the Sikhs. He was born on 22nd December 1666 in Patna.
• Guru Gobind Singh Ji became the Guru at the age of nine after the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the ninth Sikh Guru.
• Contributions to Sikhs Faith:
  • Khalsa: Guru Gobind Singh ji is credited with founding the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa, which gave Sikhs a warrior identity. 
  • Five Ks: Guru ji introduced the five articles of the Khalsa faith, namely kesh (uncut hair), kanga (wooden comb), kara (iron or steel bracelet), kirpan (dagger) and kachera (short breeches). 
    • He also introduced a code of discipline for Khalsa warriors. Tobacco, eating ‘halal’ meat, fornication, and adultery were forbidden for members. 
  • Prayer Hymns: Guruji is credited with introducing the Dasam Granth whose hymns are a sacred part of Sikh prayers and Khalsa rituals.
  • Baptization: Guru Gobind Singh ji introduced a new method of baptization for induction into the Khalsa sect.  Baptized Sikhs were given the title ‘Singh’.
  • Fight against Illegal Taxation: He opposed the illegal taxes imposed on non-Muslims by Aurangzeb. It included jizya, pilgrim tax, and bhaddar tax.