Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

400th Anniversary of the Installation of Guru Granth Sahib

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, touched an emotional cord while addressing a mammoth gathering in Amritsar, recalling his roots and paying tributes to the teachings of Guru Garnth Sahib.

The Prime Minister said, "The 400th Anniversary of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib at Shri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar is a festive occasion for all Indians. The holy Guru Granth Sahib is a unique work that collects the hymns of the Gurus, devoted Bhaktas and Sufi saints. This sacred text mirrors the many concerns of our wise men, philosophers and sages over the centuries, reflecting a common central message of humanism and a belief in the universal brotherhood of man. This sacred work is a source of inspiration to those who seek social justice, the equality of all people and the empowerment of women as well as the under-privileged. The Adi Granth also preaches the value of living in harmony with nature, while promoting a rational and compassionate approach to life. It is for these reasons that I believe the text has remained a vibrant and living guide to all those who value these fundamental principles", he added.

Dr. Manmohan Singh said, "In celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Adi Granth's installation, we pay homage and tribute to these values as much as to the scholarly and devout men and women who have helped preserve this sacred text, and have disseminated its tenets to generations of people. There can be no better way to honour the Guru Granth Sahib than to abide in practice by its teachings of living in peace with one another, and in harmony with nature. We must also learn to solve our problems through dialogue, while learning to respect our fellow men, irrespective of status, creed or caste. In these troubled times, the wisdom of the Gurus provided us with simple truths from which we much learn. Our fractious world, divided within itself, could benefit from the uplifting teachings of the Adi Granth, which tells us to think of the future, of the consequences of our actions and of the welfare of the many. I hope that the celebrations of the anniversary of the Adi Granth will contribute to the wider understanding of this message of universal brotherhood", he said.

Responding to requests from Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amrinder Singh, the Prime Minister announced that the central government would provide a grant of Rupees 100 crore for a corpus to fund the programmes recommended by the National Committee for the Celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib.

The Prime Minister also announced that the central government's commitment to the completion of the Galiara project for which a sum of 69 crore rupees will be provided. Dr. Manmohan Singh also stated that the Central Government will provide all assistance for setting up a National Centre for Research on the Guru Granth Sahib Studies in Punjab; for completion of the Khalsa heritage complex at Anandpur Sahib; for Shri Guru Ramdas integrated slum development plan; for the establishment of special economic zone in Amritsar. The Amritsar Economic Zone is expected to attract investment up to Rupees 1100 crore on infrastructure and foreign investment of US$ 1.5 billion. It is expected to generate exports worth more than US$ 2.6 billion and as many as 55000 jobs.

The Prime Minister gave his commitment to the transfer of Gobindgarh Fort from the Defence Ministry to the Government of Punjab. Dr. Singh also said that he will make efforts to have the Golden temple complex declared a world heritage site of the UNESCO by Sept 2005.

The Prime Minister said that he would take up with the Pakistan Government the issues of the Kartarpur corridor for the Sikh community and the provision of access to those visiting Nankhana Sahib. Dr Manmohan Singh informed a cheering audience that he had asked the President of France to give special concession to the sentiments of the Sikh community in regard to the French law on wearing turbans.

Earlier in the day the Prime Minister visited Shri Harmandir Sahib and Durgyana Mandir. Speaking in Punjabi, the Prime Minister urged the Sikh community to abide by the teachings of the Gurus and Sants. He was greeted by the large gathering. At Shri Harmandir Sahib Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Gursharan Kaur were honoured in the traditional style by the Sikh community leaders who presented them with saropas. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Members of Parliament, Mrs. Ambika Soni, Mrs. Sukhbans Kaur and Mr. Ashwini Kumar.