CHANDIGARH: The Punjab House on Wednesday convened a special commemorative session to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Legislators of both sister states (Punjab and Haryana) sat in the same assembly hall after 53 long years for the first time after the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966.
The session saw Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in attendance.
In his address, Naidu hoped that the Kartarpur Corridor will be a shrine of peace, harmony and humanism to contribute to the realization of Guru Nanak’s universal vision of a world as one family.
Meanwhile, Dr Singh said that the Kartarpur Model should be replicated in the future too as a lasting resolution of conflicts.
Naidu expressed delight at the opening of Kartarpur Corridor, slated in a couple of days. "The Corridor will connect us with Kartarpur, the sacred place where Guru spent the last 18 years of his life," he said
"In a world that is increasingly fragmented with narrow tunnel vision, bigotry and dogmatism, we need all the strength to dispel the darkness that constantly threatens to envelop individuals, communities and nations,’’ he said.
He appealed to the MLAs to set an example by serving the people in accordance with the principles enunciated by the great Guru for creating a harmonious society. Describing Guru Nanak Dev as a great champion of equality, Naidu said that the First Sikh Guru was a great votary of women empowerment.
Earlier, Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh appealed to take forward the legacy of Guru Nanak's message of mutual love and respect to ensure an equitable society.
"Guru Nanak Dev’s eternal message of oneness of God, religious tolerance and peace could pave the way to end sectarian violence, which Singh said was the biggest challenge facing the world," Singh said.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh gave a call for the protection of nature to save the future generations from the devastating effects of environmental pollution. Recalling the great Guru’s ideology "Pavan Guru, Pani Pita, Mata Dharat Mahat" (Air is the guru, water the father, and earth the mother), he underlined the intrinsic bond between nature and mankind.
This ideology needs to be preserved in letter and spirit to ensure that the future generations do not suffer from deadly diseases due to environmental pollution, as is evident from the prevailing air pollution which has degraded the quality in the entire northern region, including the national capital, said Amarinder.
Besides Amarinder, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and both governors of VP Singh Badnore of Punjab and Satyadeo Narain Arya of Haryana were present on the occasion.