Vice Prez, CM, former PM pay tribute to Guru Nanak at spl Punjab Assembly session

Underlining the message of Guru Nanak Dev during a special Assembly session held to mark the 550th birth anniversary of the Sikhism founder, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on Wednesday stressed the need to protect nature so that future generations do not suffer from environmental pollution.

Recalling the great Guru's thought "pavan guru, pani pita, mata dharat mahat" (air is the guru, water the father, and earth the mother), the chief minister underlined the intrinsic bond between nature and mankind.

This ideology needed to be preserved in letter and spirit to ensure that future generations did not suffer environmental pollution, as evident from the prevailing air pollution in the entire northern region, including the national capital, said Singh.

He appealed to everyone to preserve the nature and natural resources to make Punjab clean, green and pollution-free in line with the Guru's philosophy by making the optimal use of groundwater, diversifying into less water-intensive crops and stop burning paddy straw besides checking the use of chemical fertilisers.

A similar view was expressed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who was the special guest at the historic session, in which former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore, Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya, Haryana Chief Minister M.L. Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala took part.

Naidu recalled the philosophy of Guru Nanak and urged all to imbibe his teachings of universal brotherhood, equality and one God.

Starting his address in chaste Punjabi, Naidu extended greetings to all dignitaries.
"It is quite appropriate that this temple of democracy is dedicating a special session to one of India's most democratic spiritual leaders," said Naidu in his address in English.

"Guru Nanak ji belongs to the long illustrious tradition of India's visionary spiritual leaders who have illumined human existence and greatly enriched the country's cultural capital," he said.

"Our worldview has been continually broadened by timeless messages of enlightened pathfinders like Guru Nanak ji. We, as democratic political leaders, and even as common citizens, have so much to learn from teachings of this great personality.

"If we can internalise and integrate these messages in our daily lives and reshape our thinking and actions, we can certainly discover a new world of peace and sustainable development," said Naidu.

He said respect for women and gender equality was another important lesson to be learnt from Guru Nanak Dev's life

Addressing both the houses of Punjab and Haryana - a first since the latter was carved out of the former in 1966 - former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to all to take forward Guru Nanak Dev's philosophy of mutual love and respect to ensure an equitable society.

Advocating that peace and harmony was the only way forward to ensure a prosperous future, he hoped the Kartarpur model would be replicated in future too for a lasting resolution of conflicts.

"Guru Nanak Devji's eternal message of oneness of God, religious tolerance and peace can pave the way to end sectarian violence," which he said was the biggest challenge facing the world.

"Punjab is Guru Nanak Devji's 'karam bhoomi'. How will we keep Guru Nanak Devji's legacy alive if its youth is wasted with drugs, water is becoming poisonous and women are being disrespected. It is the most crucial question on his 550th birth anniversary," he said.

In his address, the Punjab CM exhorted everyone to follow the timeless message of Guru Nanak Dev to carve out an egalitarian society, sans social and economic disparities.

He underscored the need to revisit the teachings and message of the Guru.

Stressing that the present generation was blessed to have the opportunity of celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of the Sikh Guru, Singh called upon all to imbibe values of compassion and love.

He made a special mention of the Guru's philosophy of oneness and unity of God to emphasise the need for tolerance and harmony.

The chief minister hoped that the bonhomie witnessed on Wednesday between the MLAs from Punjab and Haryana, who attended the special session, would continue to strengthen the bond between the two states in future too, enabling the overall development and prosperity of the region.

The chief minister honoured the vice president, former prime minister, Haryana chief minister and governors of both states with commemorative gold and silver coins, mementoes and sets of books.

(With agencies inputs)