Need To Follow Guru Nanak’s Teachings: Scholars

[Azaad]

Claiming that there has been a decline in the Sikh religion, renowned scholar Rattan Singh Jaggi from Patiala said this has happened as people don’t follow the ideology of Guru Nanak Dev, first Sikh master, and his teachings in our practical life.

He was delivering a keynote address during the 24th annual seminar on “Guru Nanak and Origin of Gurdwara Institution” organised by the Guru Nanak Studies Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, here today. Over 50 scholars from various universities and colleges are participating in the two-day seminar.

Elaborating further, Jaggi said the tradition of gurdwara institution was started with the travels of Guru Nanak Dev. The dharamshalas were established at various places as preaching centres by the first Sikh master. After installation of Guru Granth Sahib, these Sikh religious places turned into gurdwaras.

He said the gurdwaras were the foundation of Sikh religion but the people had forgotten the principle of equality that forced the downtrodden and the people of lower castes to build their separate gurdwaras, which attracted them towards deras. Thus, gurdwaras were becoming a medium in creating casteism, he rued.

He said the race of constructing new buildings of historical gurdwaras has lost the historical originality of religious places.

He said as the gurdwaras are the main centres of preaching, there need reforms in the gurdwara managements. He released a copy of volume of research papers to be read out during the seminar.

Dr. Raghbir Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, in his address traced the history of gurdwara institution. He also honoured Rattan Singh Jaggi and Satinder Singh by presenting them sets of university publications.

Satinder Singh, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university, while presenting his presidential remarks said that the world was heading towards transcendence and was in search of a global religion. “The Sikh religion, the Guru Nanak Bani or Guru Granth Sahib has the characteristics of becoming the global religion, but we have to spread the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib at global level by way of preaching and by bringing its versions in various languages of the world.”