PAU marked 350th birth anniversary of Saint-Solider, Guru Gobind Singh Ji by organising symposium and exhibition

Ludhiana, December 21, 2017: With the initiative of Punjab Government, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) marked the 350th birth anniversary of Saint-Solider, Guru Gobind Singh Ji today by organizing a symposium and exhibition on the campus. Sh Rana Gurjeet Singh, Minister of Power and Irrigation, Punjab, was the chief guest while Dr Khem Singh Gill, former Vice-Chancellor, PAU, was the guest of honour.

In his address, Sh Rana Gurjeet Singh said, “India is a secular country and Guru Gobind Singh Ji was secular. He was a great poet and a warrior, who sacrificed his father Guru Teg Bahadur (Hindi Ki Chadar), mother Mata Gujri and four sons for the sake of mankind.” Whenever the country has needed any service, his sons ‘Sikhs’ have always been there to serve the humanity, he said. “Punjab at present is contributing 60 per cent of food grains to the central food grain bowl of the country. It is the result of the toil of PAU scientists as well as the farmers of Punjab,” he stated. The Minister lauded Sh Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, for making a good start in marking birth anniversary of Guruji in Bihar in 2016. The Punjab Government is planning to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Sultanpur in 2019, he disclosed. “Although Punjab is reeling under financial crisis and drug menace, yet we wish it should always be in ’Chardi Kla’ with the vital contributions of its people,” he added.

Dr Gill lauded Punjab Government for educating the youth about the teachings and sacrifice of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He said Guruji always said, “There is one God and we are the children of the same God.”

In his welcome remarks, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said, “Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a great scholar and soldier, who sacrificed his life for the sake of religion and mankind.”

Dr Harpal Singh Pannu, Professor, Punjabi University, Patiala, while throwing light on the life and philosophy of Guruji, spoke on ‘Sakhi.’

Dr Jasvir Singh Sabar, Professor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, while speaking on “Appe Gur Chela,” said casteism never existed for Guruji. He always preached “Uphold the moral values and respect every man.” Sikhs are known for their langar sewa across the globe, he added.

Dr Balwinder Pal Singh, Head, Department of Economics, GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sudhar, delivered a talk on “Manas ki Jaat Sabbe Ekke Pehchanbo.” He said, “Guruji always stressed on diversity, not on inequality.”

Dr Sarabjit Singh, Professor of Journalism, PAU, while speaking on “Zafarnama: Chardikla Da Sandesh,” said despite all odds, Guruji followed the path of Chardi kla by remaining positive. “Chardi klasignifies perennial belief in divine justice which our great Gurus always stood for,” he added. Stating that the choice of words was important, Dr Singh urged the gathering to set-up a factory of positive thoughts inside.

On the occasion, the chief guest released a folder on the “Life of Guru Gobind Singh Ji,” brought out by PAU. In addition, three students of Arya College, Ludhiana, were honoured for singing vaars. An exhibition, highlighting the teachings and contributions of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, was also put up.