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Centre plans year-long events to mark Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary

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6 years ago

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New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) Ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev next year, the Centre has decided to undertake a series of commemorative activities across India and abroad.

The decision was taken at the third National Implementation Committee (NIC) meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on November 8 in the presence of Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma, Governor of Punjab V.P. Singh Badnore, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology S.S. Ahluwalia, and Punjab’s Minister of Tourism Navjot Singh Sidhu, said a Home Ministry statement on Monday.

The NIC, constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary next year, earlier had two other meetings under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State for Culture as members.

“It was decided that the event will be commemorated through a series of activities commencing in November 2018 (November 23, the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak) throughout the country and across the globe,” said the statement.

A commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Department of Posts, it said.

Sultanpur Lodhi, where Guru Nanak spent much of his life, will be developed as a heritage city, also incorporating Pind Babe Nanak Da, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with the Punjab government.

The Union Ministry of Railways will upgrade Sultanpur Lodhi railway station with modern amenities.

A national institute of Inter Faith Studies will be set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Punjab for which the state government will provide land free of cost.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT will install a high-powered telescope in India for the devotees to view Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. A Chair on Guru Nanak Dev will be set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in one University each in the UK and Canada.

An international seminar on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev will be organised in New Delhi by the Union Ministry of Culture.

States and Union Territories will also be requested to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in a befitting manner. The Ministry of Culture will work with the state governments for this.

The Indian Missions abroad shall organise a series of activities as part of the celebrations. The Ministry of Railways will run a train passing through places associated with Guru Nanak Dev.

“Religious activities like kirtan, Katha, prabhat pheri and langar will be organised throughout the year both at national and international level,” said the statement, adding that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) — an organization in India responsible for the management of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh and union territory of Chandigarh — will draw a calendar of activities and execute it.

Educational activities such as seminars, workshops and lectures shall be organised throughout the country by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in association with SGPC.

Doordarshan will arrange live telecast of programmes on Guru Nanak and the Gurbani. The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha secretariats will be requested to consider telecasting the same on Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV.

Publication of Gurbani in different Indian languages will be done by the National Book Trust.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) will be requested to translate and publish an anthology of Guru Nanak’s writings in world languages.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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3 months ago

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September 3, 2024

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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