NEW DELHI JULY 25: The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Centre to issue a commemorative coin and to launch a vigorous media campaign to promote the tercentenary celebrations of Guru-Ta-Gaddi Divas on a global scale and bring awareness amongst the people about the message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.These views were expressed by Mr. Badal during the fourth meeting of the National Committee for commemoration of Ter-Centenary of Guru-Ta-Gaddi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib held here under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj V.Patil.
Giving the details of the meeting, Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains said that the Union Home Minister accepted Mr. Badal’s proposal and promised to issue adequate funds for the said campaign.
Describing this significant event, as a ‘spiritual journey’ Mr. Badal said: "Sri Guru Granth Sahib is an eternal Guru that preaches the message of one ness and universal brotherhood representing the very essence of secularism." He said it was not merely an event but a unique platform to demonstrate the ethos of our age old character of unity in diversity".
Mr. Patil announced a grant of Rs.1 crore for the translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in English and Hindi to be distributed in the public libraries and other educational institutions to spread the message of the great Holy Scripture. He also constituted a committee of Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Speaker Lok Sabha Mr. Charanjit Singh Atwal and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mrs. Ambika Soni, to finalize the design and inscription pattern of the commemorative coin to be released on the occasion which would finally be sent to the Department of Ministry of Economic Affairs Ministry of Finance Government of India. Mr. Patil also asked Mrs. Soni to involve the representatives of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee to seek their expert advice on the subject.
The Union Home Minister also agreed to the State Government’s proposal to sanction an additional 5% percent funds over and above the already sanctioned amount of Rs.179 crore for the over all development of two important holy towns of Sri Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo connected with the life and philosophy of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
In a touching tribute to the message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Mr Patil said that the All India Radio, Doordarshan would prefix all news items with thematic citations from the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He said prominent private Channels would also be requested to do the like wise. Mr Patil also mentioned that the flims, documentaries, T.V serials, opinion pieces in the magazine and Newspapers, Seminar and Symposiums, would be held to disseminate the teaching of Sri Guru Gobind Sahib.
The Chief Minister said that at least four millions devotees would converge in the holy Sach Khand Sri Hazoor Sahib,Nanded during the Tercentenary programmes and impressed upon the committee to pay special attention to the issues related to the accommodation, traveling and security arrangements to enable them to pay obeisance at one of the most historic occasions of the millennium. To avoid any unexpected situation like stampede, he cautioned the committee to take all sort of preventive measures.
In her address Mrs.Ambika Soni sought cooperation from the States of Maharashtra and Punjab to make these programmes as a memorable event.
Chief Minister Maharshtra Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh assured both Mr.Patil and Mrs. Soni that all the on going development works in an around Nanded would be completed well within the time frame as he was personally monitoring the day to day progress.
Prominent among others who attended the meeting included:, Deputy Speaker Lok Sabha Mr. Charanjit Singh Atwal, Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs. Suryakanta Patil, Chairperson Central Social Welfare Board, Mrs. Rajni Patil, Media Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Harcharan Bains, Leader of Opposition Punjab Assembly Mrs. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Ex-Director General of Police, and Chairman Takhat Shri Hazoor Sahib Sach Sachkhand Gurudwara Administrative Committee, Nanded, Maharashtra Mr. P.S.Pasricha, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharti Mr. B.S.Lalli, Editor in chief Punjab Kesari, Mr. Vijay Chopra,