Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 14: The 637th birth anniversary of Guru Ravi Dass Ji Maharaj was celebrated with full religious fervour and gaiety here today. In this connection various functions were organized to pay obeisance to this great saint of India.
The biggest function was organised by Guru Ravi Dass Sabha Krishna Nagar here in which a large number of devotees drawn from different parts of Jammu participated.
The function was organized by All J&K Guru Ravi Dass Sabha. A cultural programme was also held on the occasion. The Minister of Housing, Horticulture and Culture, Raman Bhalla, Minister of Planning, Ajay Sadhotra, provincial president NC Devender Singh Rana, Chairperson, J&K Advisory Board for Development and Welfare of SCs, Swaran Lata Bhagat and MLA Raipur Domana, Bharat Bushan were among the prominent people who attended the function.
Paying their obeisance to Guru Ravi Dass Ji Maharaj the speakers threw light on his life history and teachings and termed him an apostle of peace.
Addressing the function Raman Bhalla assured the gathering that the demands put forth in the memorandum will be put before the appropriate forum for redressal.
He said Government is committed to redress the grievances of the community for the balanced development. Guru Ravi Dass teaches us respecting the highest values of secularism, humanity and brotherhood and his teachings are more relevant in the society today, he added.
Ajay Sadhotra and Devender Singh Rana, while paying obeisance to this great saint of India, said Guru Ravi Dass was an apostle of peace. They said Guru Ravi Dass teaching was brotherhood, equality and he worked for the enlightment of mankind.
The Sabha president Vijay Motan while addressing the gathering highlighted various demands of the Sabha and stressed on allotment of four kanals of land adjacent to the Guru Ravi Dass Gurudwara to the Sabha.
Earlier a detailed memorandum was presented by the Sabha to the Ministers by Sabha general secretary, Sham Lal Bachan.
The memorandum demanded construction of hostel for SC students at district level, allotment of residential plots to poor SC families, implementation of reservation rules in true letter and spirit by clearing all the backlog, maintenance of roster on reservation by Social Welfare Department, constitution of Reservation Enforcement Board and Committee, amendment in the criteria for grant of pre matric and post matric scholarships, implementation of eight percent reservations in promotions and recruitment in the colleges and universities of the State and a road be named in Jammu city on the name of Late Babu Milki Ram, MLA.
The organizers through cultural programme highlighted the life and teachings of Guru Ravi Dass on the occasion. Master Ramalo Ram a renowned singer recited bhajans in praise of Guru Ji Maharaj while Krishana Mangotra, Director Tapasya Drama Party presented skits on the life and teachings of this great saint of medieval India.
Among others Sham Sunder Vasson, vice president also spoke on the occasion.
Another function was organized by BJP Anushuchit Jaati Morcha under the chairmanship of its State president, Surinder Bhagat at BJP Headquarters here today. Former State president, Shamsher Singh Manhas presided the function. The BJP Morcha leaders who paid obeisance to Guru Ravi Dass on the occasion included senior Party leader, Chaman Lal Kanathia, N D Rajwal, Bansi Lal, P C Sangra, Puran Chand and Faqir Chand Azad. In addition to it the senior BJP leaders including Party National Executive Member and chief spokesperson, Dr Jitendra Singh and its general secretary of organization, Ashok Kaul also paid their obeisance to this great saint of India.
Shamsher Singh Manhas in his address appealed the people to follow the message of Guru Ravi Dass in letter and spirit and this would be true obeisance to this great man.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the celebrations should not be confined to simply a particular community but must be observed by the entire Indian nation because Ravi Dass is symbolic of liberation from retrogressive culture superstitions.
Ashok Kaul said that Guru Ji message has been that man must arise above his prejudices of community, case and creed while Surinder Bhagat demanded that Jewel Chowk be renamed as Guru Ravi Dass Chowk.
Reports coming from Kathua, Samba, Udhampur and other towns said that the birth anniversary of Guru Ravi Dass was celebrated with full religious fervour and gaiety.
All J&K Ramdassia Conference also celebrated the birth anniversary of Guru Ravi Dass at village Maand in Udhampur district. The function was held with religious fervour under the presidentship of Advocate Sanjeet Kumar Bavouria, Patron-in-chief of the All J&K Ramdassia Conference.
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