Briefly State

Changes in Nanakshahi Calendar flayed

Amritsar: Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti flayed Sikh high priests on Monday for the recent amendments in Nanakshahi Calendar,leading to variations in observing gurpurabs and other Sikh historical days. He said the calendar was adopted in 2003,during his tenure as jathedar,following prolonged debates within the Sikh society and any changes made after that had no mandate of the Panth. Addressing the media,Vedanti said he failed to understand the reasons to make changes. “The amendments have led to large-scale confusions and numerous clashes of dates. There was no need to make the changes,” he said. He supported the stand taken by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC),which is following the “original calendar”. Vedanti released the Nanakshahi Calendar for the current year according to the original version.

‘Multiculturalism is at crossroads’

Amritsar: “Multiculturalism that has been valued as a policy programme of western liberal democracies for long is facing very serious challenges in the present times,as a result of which the commitment of liberal democracies to such an agenda has been put to test,” said Dr Shinder Purewal,professor of political science at Kwantlen Polytechnic University,Surrey,Canada,here on Monday. He was delivering a special lecture on “Multiculturalism in the contemporary times” in the Guru Nanak Dev University. Faculty members,research scholars and students of the political science department participated in the question-answer session. Prof Kuldip Singh,head of the department,and Prof J S Sekhon,too,spoke on the occasion.

Ruby Dhalla to speak at GNDU today

Amritsar: Canadian Parliamentarian Ruby Dhalla will deliver a special lecture on “Parliamentary Democracy in Canada” in the Conference Hall of Guru Nanak Dev University on Tuesday,according to Dr Kuldip Singh,head of the Department of Political Science. Vice-Chancellor Prof A S Brar will preside over while the faculty,research fellows and students will participate in the discussion.