The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh chaired the First meeting of the National Committee to celebrate the 400th anniversary of installation of "Adi Granth" here today. Four hundred years ago, it was on September 1 that "Adi Granth" was installed at Harmandir Sahib. Besides the Minister of Culture, Shri S. Jaipal Reddy, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Shri S.S. Barnala, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Shri Jaswant Singh, senior CPI (M) leader, Shri H.S. Surjeet, Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Sheila Dixit and scholars and religious leaders were among those who attended the meeting. Following is the text of the opening remarks made by the Prime Minister:

"It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to the First Meeting Of the National Committee To Celebrate of 400th Anniversary Of The installation of "Adi Granth" in Shri Harmandir Sahib. The "Adi Granth" is a unique text that brings together the hymns of many revered Gurus, devoted Bhaktas and Sufi saints and is a sacred text that mirrors the many concerns of our Gurus, sages and wise men who had at the care of their heart genuine concern for the welfare of humanity and for its spiritual regeneration. The world is in turmoil. On the one hand, science & technology have opened up new vistas of opportunities - nuclear physics, genetic engineering.

The Adi Granth's central message is a message of humanism and the Universal Brotherhood of Man. It is a source of inspiration for those who seek social justice, the equality of all people, the empowerment of women and of the under privileged. The Adi Granth also teaches us to develop a concern for the environment, preaching the value of living in harmony with nature. The Adi Granth adopts a rational approach to life and a compassionate approach to the living. It is for those reasons that I believe the text has remained alive as a guide to all those who value these fundamental principles of humanism and human integrity.

In celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Adi Granth's installation, we are paying homage and tribute to these values as much as to the scholarly and devout men and women who have helped preserve this sacred text, helped generations of the faithful to understand it and enabled us in this day and age to continue to benefit from its teachings.

There can be no better way to honour such a sacred text than to learn to live by its teachings, live in peace and harmony with one another and with nature; to learn to solve our problems through dialogue and discourse; to learn to respect each other, big or small, wealthy or poor.

These are not empty words. These are not high-minded ideas necessarily out of our grasp. In times such as these the wisdom of our sages and Gurus is sometimes that simple truth that we must listen to and learn from. We live in a troubled world, a fractious world, a selfish world in which far too many people think but of themselves. Of the Here and Now. Of the Mine and Ours. Such narrow selfishness is destructive. It is destructive of the soul, it is destructive of the family, of the community and of Nations. What the teachings of the Adi Granth tell us is to think of the future, of the consequences of our action, of the welfare of the many.

I hope our deliberations here will enable us to come forward with ideas that will help in disseminating the universal message of the Holy Granth, which can show the way forward, for the spiritual and moral regeneration of mankind. I am happy that several steps are being contemplated to celebrate the anniversary of the Adi Granth and to spread its message of Universal Brotherhood.

The setting up of a National Institute or a Research Centre for Guru Granth Studies has been proposed. Several seminars and conferences, the establishment of chairs of learning and a wide range of publications have all been contemplated. The Central Government will assist in whatever manner this Committee regards as desirable and suitable.

I am happy that I will travelling to Amrtisar next week and will be visiting Shri Harmandir Sahib".