Amritsar, July 20, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
The executive committee (EC) of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday has again decided to organise the Gurmat Samagams (religious congregations) dedicated to the 400th Prakash Purb (birth anniversary) of Sri Guru Teg Bahadar Ji.
The events would be organised in Punjab as well as other states of the country and a main event of a large-scale will also be organised.
While talking to the media reporters after the SGPC’s EC meeting, SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said that due to COVID-19 pandemic the events related to 400th Prakash Purb of the ninth Guru were conducted with limitations and it has been decided that if the situation prevails to be favourable the postponed events will be organised again. She said that the duties of pracharaks (preachers) have been asked to plan different programs.
SGPC president said that the EC has decided to provide Rs 2,000 aid to those granthis of the villages who are devoted to the code of conduct (Rehat Maryada) of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and will continuously give Santhiya (lesson on pure reciting and grammar of Gurbani) of Guru Granth Sahib to 10 persons. She said these granthis should be able to recite the Gurbani without error and have the knowledge of history.
SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said that dedicated to the 400th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Teg Bahadar Ji, it has been decided by the EC to open stores of generic medicines along with laboratories at historic gurdwaras under the management of SGPC. She said earlier it was decided to open such a store and laboratory at Sri Darbar Sahib and the preparations of the same are being done.
“Expanding the same, it has been decided to open such generic medicine stores and laboratories at different historic gurdwaras. The motive of the Sikh body is to provide cheap and quality medicines to the needy while keeping aside the profit and loss from the same”, said Bibi Jagir Kaur.
She said that the SGPC through Sri Guru Ramdas Medical College has provided big facilities to the people in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Under the same humanitarian efforts, the arrangements have been made at large-scale after setting up Covid Care Centres and providing free COVID-19 vaccines to the people.
“So far, the SGPC has spent about Rs 1.75 crore under its services to save people from COVID-19 pandemic. These services will continue and every arrangement will be made as per the requirement”, said the SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Talking about the aid provided to the families of the farmers who got martyred during the ongoing Kisan Andolan (farmers’ movement) against Centre’s three black agri-marketing laws, SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said, “The SGPC has so far provided aid of nearly Rs 3 crore to the families of the farmers who got martyred during the Kisan Andolan and to those who got injured in different accidents while participating in protests.”
In another boost for providing free higher education along with hostel facility to Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh girls at Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College and Collegiate Senior Secondary School, Talwandi Sabo, Sri Damdama Sahib, the SGPC’s EC has decided increase the number of students from 200 to 400.
“Earlier, the SGPC was providing the facility of free higher education with hostel facilities to 200 Amritdhari Sikh girls. But now, it has been decided to increase the number of girls to 400. These girls will be provided the hostel facility along with food. SGPC will also give a scholarship discount of Rs 30,000 to Amritdhari students taking admission in engineering colleges”, said Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said that the SGPC would soon construct new Sarais to extend the accommodation facility to the pilgrims visiting Sri Harmandar Sahib.
“New rooms will be constructed on the site of Guru Ramdas Sarai to replace the unusable rooms, but the exterior will be maintained intact. Many Sikhs were martyred in Guru Ramdas Sarai during the June 1984 holocaust and their names along with photographs would be inscribed in a suitable manner to commemorate them. Moreover, the rooms of all the other sarais in the complex including Mata Ganga Niwas, Guru Hargobind Niwas and Guru Arjan Dev Niwas will also be renovated as requirement”, said SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Regarding the old building structures found during the excavation for a new jora ghar and two-wheeler parking being constructed outside Sri Darbar Sahib complex, the SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said, “A team from the Archaeological Department has today visited the site and if it is related to the Sikh history, it will be preserved. This Galiara (corridor) was constructed by the then Centre government after the 1984 military attack by acquiring and demolishing the houses and shops of the people settled here. There should be no politics in this matter as the SGPC is acting cautiously as a responsible body.”
A resolution was also passed in the EC meeting that approved the display of the portraits of former Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, former head granthi Giani Bhagwan Singh and former vice-president Dalip Singh Malunangal in the Central Sikh Museum. A resolution to thank Giani Mohan Singh, former head granthi of Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib was also passed for naming his house to Sri Darbar Sahib.
SGPC’s EC also passed condolences resolutions to pay tributes to the departed souls including Sikh scholar Dr Jodh Singh and the flying Sikh Milkha Singh.
In the meeting EC meeting, SGPC senior vice-president Surjit Singh Bhitewad, junior vice-president Baba Buta Singh, general secretary Bhagwant Singh Sialka, chief secretary Harjinder Singh Dhami, executive members Navtej Singh Kauni, Baldev Singh Chunghan, Ajmer Singh Khera, Bhupinder Singh Bhalwan, Baba Charanjit Singh Jassowal, Darshan Singh Sherkhan, Bibi Malkit Kaur Kamalpur, Mithu Singh Kahneke, Amrik Singh Shahpur, secretary Mahinder Singh Ahli, additional secretaries Sukhdev Singh Bhurakohna, Partap Singh, Sukhminder Singh, assistant secretaries Kulwinder Singh Ramdas, Tejinder Singh Padda, Balwinder Singh Kahlwan, Sulakhan Singh Bhangali, superintendent Malkit Singh Beharwal, OSD Satbir Singh Dhami, OSDs to SGPC president Dr Amrik Singh Latifpur and Dr Sukhbir Singh were present.
Draft sent to Rajya Sabha Committee on inclusion of authentic history in NCERT books: Bibi Jagir Kaur
SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said that a draft has been sent by the SGPC to include authentic history in the syllabus books prepared by NCERT for different classes. She said that in the past during an online meeting with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi she had raised the issue of distortion of the history in the syllabus books and asked to form a committee to include authentic history in this regard.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said that suggestions were sought from the Rajya Sabha Committee in this regard, in response to which the SGPC has held discussions with the Sikh scholars and institutions and sent a preliminary draft.
“About 5,000 emails have also been received regarding the draft. As per the suggestions received, the Rajya Sabha Committee would be reconvened and sent as a final document draft soon. SGPC from time to time raised its voice against cases of distortion with history and demanded that the history taught to the students should be included in the books only after it is approved by the SGPC”, said Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said it would be appealed to the Rajya Sabha Committee to publish the books only after showing the history to the SGPC.
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