Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 5: Gurpurab was celebrated with great enthusiasm and religious fervor across the State by the Sikh community members and others today.
A grand function was organised by the State Gurdwara Parbandhak Board (SGPB) and District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC) Jammu in connection with the birthday celebrations (Prakash Utsav) of the great Guru, Gobind Singh ji at Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Chand Nagar (Gumat) here today. Thousands of devotees thronged the Gurdwara since morning and paid their obeisance.
The Management Committee of Gurdwara and DGPC had made elaborate arrangements for the celebrations of the Prakash Purav. Chand Nagar Gurdwara was highly decorated. The district administration had also made better security arrangements with the deployment of additional police personnel and traffic cops to facilitate the Sangat (devotees). The traffic was also diverted to certain other routes to ensure hassle-free movement of the devotees.
Hazoori Ragi Sri Darbar Sahib Bhai Shokeen Singh Ji and many other ‘Ragi Jathas’ recited Gurbani, the ‘shalokas’ of Guru Granth Sahib. Vice Chancellor of Punjab University, Patiala, Dr Jaspal Singh and former Ambassador threw light on the life and achievements of Guru Gobind Singh Ji for the Khalsa Panth and entire humanity. He said that the dynamic approach of Guru Gobind Singh Ji towards religion and deep humanism and concern for the outcastes and for dignified life of down trodden immensely raised the stature of 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the eyes of entire humanity.
Another renowned scholar, S Sarabjit Singh Dunda (Gurmat Gyan College Mission, Ludhiana) also spoke on the revolutionary life and teachings of great Guru and stressed upon the Sangat to follow the path shown by him. Sant Tejwant Singh, a religious preacher from J&K also highlighted the sacrifices of great Guru for the humanity and appealed the people to follow the teachings of 10th Guru.
Dy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and Speaker Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta besides MoS Education Priya Sethi, MLC Charanjeet Singh Khalsa and MLA Jammu East Rajesh Gupta also paid their obeisance at Gurdwara and greeted the Sikh community on this occasion. DyCM described Guru Gobind Singh as multi-dimensional personality and said that the sacrifices rendered by him would be remembered for times immemorial. He said we should follow the teachings of this Great Guru for leading a peaceful life and they are very relevant today.
On this occasion, resolutions concerning religious & political aspirations and problems of the minority Sikh community were presented by former DGPC president Jammu Surinder Singh. Jagjit Singh DPGC Jammu president also spoke on the occasion. T S Wazir, president J&K State Gurdwara Parbandhak Board elaborated in detail over these issues and expressed his resolve to project the same vigorously before the Government.
A resolution was unanimously adopted on this occasion, demanding introducing Punjabi in the schools and provision of Punjabi teachers, establish Guru Gobind Singh Chair in Punjabi Department of Jammu University, grant of minority status to Sikhs and creation of Minority Commission, early disbursement of financial package to PoK refugees as announced by Govt, representation of Sikhs in Govt, PSC and SSB and declaring Kunjwani Chowk as Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk. They also demanded impartial probe into anti-Sikh riots/carnages of 1984 and 1989 in Jammu and Chattisinghpora carnage of 2000 in Kashmir.
Later, the DGPC members submitted copy of resolution to the DyCM who assured to take up the issues at the highest level for final resolution. On this occasion, Speaker Kavinder Gupta announced Rs 10 lakhs for statue of Baba Banda Bahadur for installation at Kunjwani Chowk.
Meanwhile, reports of Gurpurab celebrations have also been received from Rajouri, Kathua, Udhampur, RS Pura, Samba, Nowshera and some other parts of the region.
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