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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Tuesday announced a world-class university named after Guru Tegh Bahadur in Anandpur Sahib, a city associated with the ninth Sikh Guru, during the concluding function of the Punjab government’s three-day event to commemorate the 350th year of his martyrdom.
Mann made the announcement after the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who addressed the gathering, urged him to build a befitting tribute to the guru. “There should be a world-class university or an institution in Anandpur Sahib. I will urge CM Mann to make a provision for setting up the university,” Kejriwal said. Mann, who spoke subsequently, made the announcement.
Sources in the government said that Anandpur Sahib MLA and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains was upset as no important announcement was made when the government organised a mega function in the city, spending crores. Bains, who is considered to be close to Kejriwal since their association began during the movement led by Anna Hazare, had been urging to declare Anandpur Sahib as Punjab’s 24th district.
On Monday, during the special Vidhan Sabha session organised in Anandpur Sahib, Mann had announced that the government would develop Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo as holy cities. On Tuesday, he reiterated that the three cities would be entirely declared as holy cities of Punjab. The announcement invited criticism with Opposition parties stating that they were already holy cities.
Speaking at a function organised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at the historic Seesh Ganj Sahib Gurdwara, barely a kilometre away from the venue of the government function, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal hit out at Mann, saying that the cities were declared holy by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal 15 years ago.
Chief Minister Mann also announced that Charan Ganga Stadium in Sri Anandpur Sahib would be revamped and asked Budha Dal chief Baba Balbir Singh to share a map so that the stadium could be developed further.
Mann also announced a free local bus service for devotees at all three holy cities. “The devotees will be taken to all gurdwaras in Anandpur Sahib through this free bus service. The holy city will be clean. As Harjot Bains sahib said, it will be painted in one colour… There will be similar designs. You will see how the Guru’s city will turn into.”
At the same time, he said the government had already provided infrastructure to make the gurdwaras disabled-friendly. The roads have been recarpeted. All this will stay here. We are not going to take it back to Chandigarh,” he said.
Defending the delay in making these announcements at the Vidhan Sabha session, he said that the announcement for a holy city requires to be routed through the Legislative Assembly, while other announcements can be made by the government.
“I want to say here that we will not just stop at commemorating the 350th martyrdom day of the guru. There will be the 351st one also,” he said, adding that more announcements will be made in the coming days.
“In the university, you should be able to set up a chair. There can be a section that can translate Gurbani in all languages of the world so that its message can be transmitted universally. As Kejriwal sahib said, reading and assimilating even a single page of Gurbani can transform lives… We will ask the sangat and the religious leaders as to what courses they would like in the university. Everything will be done in consultation with the people.”
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