Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Sultanpur Lodhi, November 23

“Sending across a message of communal harmony will be a befitting tribute to Guru Nanak Dev,” stressed former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who visited Gurdwara Ber Sahib, along with his wife Gursharan Kaur, for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of the founder of the Sikh faith, organised by the Punjab Government. 

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone of 26 projects worth Rs 150 crore as part of the year-long celebrations,  including the upgrading of infrastructure in the historic towns of Sultanpur Lodhi, Dera Baba Nanak and Batala.

Dr Singh expressed concern over the growing menace of terrorism the world over. He said the path shown by the Guru alone could help tackle it.

“Punjab hi nahi, poori kayanat terrorism naal jhoojh rahi hai (not just Punjab, the entire world is grappling with terrorism). Only Guru Nanak’s teachings can help us in these trying times,” he said, reciting a verse, “Jagat jalanda rakh le, apni

kirpa dhar (protect the burning world through your divine grace).”

Emphasising that people must not be divided on religion and caste lines, he said an apt tribute to Guru Nanak would be to spread his message of peace and harmony.

Underlining the Sikh tenets of equality, as institutionalised by langar (community kitchen), and sharing one’s earnings with those less privileged, he expressed concern over the widening gap between the rich and the poor across the globe.

In pipeline to mark historic occasion

• Rs 3,312 cr to facilitate pilgrims, plant saplings in each village
• Release of 32 prisoners and remission of term for 2,952
• Sehat Bima Yojana under which 43 lakh families will be brought under cover of Rs 5 lakh
• 36 villages and 11 nagar panchayats visited by Guru Nanak to be developed
• Institute of inter-faith studies planned at GNDU, Amritsar
• Connectivity to Sultanpur Lodhi to be improved
• Medical college and hospital at Kotli Nangal in Gurdaspur