Manmohan, Amarinder offer prayers at Anandpur Sahib

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday offered prayers at the Takht Keshgarh Sahib gurdwara in the Sikh holy town of Anandpur Sahib to mark the conclusion of the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of tenth and final Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh.

The shrine, considered second most holiest in Sikh religion after the Golden Temple in Amritsar, is where Guru Gobind Singh had announced the birth of the Khalsa Panth on April 13, 1699.

Manmohan Singh, while addressing a gathering, said the life and ideology of Guru Gobind Singh showed the path to strengthen the ethos of harmony, religious tolerance, peace and brotherhood.

"Guru Gobind Singh never discriminated against any religion, but respected all human beings, regardless of colour, caste and creed," said the first Sikh Prime Minister (2004-2014) of the country.

"The real tribute to Sri Guru Gobind Singh would be to follow his path and bring an end to gender discrimination. As true Sikhs, we should not discriminate between men and women, and should provide equal opportunities of education to both, to enable them to become ideal citizens of the society," he said.

Speaking after offering prayers, Amarinder Singh announced the revival of the Anandpur Sahib Urban Development Authority. He also announced the setting up of a skills university in Anandpur Sahib, about 80 km from here, to be named after Guru Gobind Singh.

The revival of Sri Anandpur Sahib Urban Development Authority would pave the way for the upgradation of its basic infrastructure and amenities, he said.

"The skills university, for which the government has already approved 100 acres of land, would help empower the children of this sacred land and make them gainfully employable in the competitive global job market," he added.

The Sikh shrine attracts millions of devotees from across the country and the world every year.

--IANS

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