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Guru's life and Guru Granth a great
inspiration,
says President of India
WSN Network
 Hazur
Sahib: Barring a few ugly scenes between local Sikh representatives
and SGPC officialdom right on the stage over who will get to control
the microphone, the Gurta Gaddi celebrations climaxed and concluded
in "Khalsayee Shauno-Shaukat" (glorious Khalsa traditions) as
president of
India,
Pratibha Patil, paid obeisance at Takht Nanded Sahib.
“The Guru’s life
should inspire people to work for the benefit of the society,”
Pratibha Patil told the gathering and talked about the exemplary
life of Guru Gobind Singh.
She participated
in the programme associated with the tercentenary of Guru Gobind
Singh’s ‘Parlok Gaman,’ or departure for heavenly abode, at Nanded
that formed part of the ongoing celebrations of 300 years of Gurta
Gaddi.
Among others
present on the occasion were
Maharashtra’s
Governor S.C. Jamir and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Home
Minister Shivraj Patil and Union Minister of State for Rural
Development Suryakanta Patil.
Ms. Patil said
the message of universal brotherhood ingrained in the Guru Granth
Sahib and the unique composition made its appeal a universal
phenomenon. Because its composition was based on the wisdom of many
Bhagats and Saints of the Bhakti Movement of Medieval period, the
holy scripture also serves as a guide to humanity, she added.
She made a
special mention of the great Khalsa tradition of ‘naam japna,’ ‘kirt
karna’ and ‘vand chhakna.’
The first virtue
related to remembering the name of Almighty, the second to the
earnings from honest hard work and the last concerned sharing the
earnings.
The Gurudwara
Board, Takhat Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, gave Ms. Patil
a traditional honour. She was also presented with a replica of the
Sachkhand Gurudwara.
SGPC turf war
A couple of days
before the president's visit, some turf war was witnessed on the
stage. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, Akal Takht Jathedar,
Jathedar Kesgarh Sahib Giani Tarlochan Singh, Head Granthi of the
Golden Temple Giani Jaswinder Singh and most of the employees of
SGPC left for
Amritsar,
leaving the Gurta Gaddi Diwas celebrations here midway. Their action
was seen as a protest against being marginalised in Nanded.
It seems after
some verbal duelling, Makkar directed his employees, including Roop
Singh and Satbir Singh, additional secretary and assistant
secretary, respectively, to leave the city. They were supposed to
camp here till November 4.
However, Giani
Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, stayed back on the personal
request of Giani Kulwant Singh, Jathedar of Takht Hazur Sahib.
The rest of the
SGPC employees, who stayed back in view of the ongoing Khalsa Sports
Festival, left for
Amritsar next
day.
Meanwhile, the
opposition group of the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee,
including Ladoo Singh Maharajan, its former president, and S.S.
Gill, deputy mayor, held a meeting to discuss the next course of
action against P.S. Pasricha, chairman of the Hazur Sahib committee.
Meanwhile, the
ceremony to honour Sikh sants passed off peacefully. Panj Pyaras,
including Giani Kulwant Singh, Jathedar Hazur Sahib, honoured the
dignitaries by presenting them with siropas.
Ladoo Singh
Maharaj and S.S. Gill were also present there.
Efforts are
afoot to bring a rapprochement between the warring groups of the
Hazur Sahib committee. Sources said some resentment was building up
against Pasricha due to his alleged “dictatorial” and “undemocratic”
attitude during the tercentenary celebrations.
5 November
2008
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