In order to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, a two-day international conference was organised at the Mata Sundri College last week. The conference was based on the life, philosophy and legacy of Guru Nanak Dev.
The former Indian Vice-President Mr Hamid Ansari presided over the event as the chief guest. Several other great achievers became a part of this memorable conference including Padma Shri S Vikramjit Singh Sawhney, Prof Gurinder Singh Mann, Global Institute for Sikh Studies, New York, Dr Afroz Ahmed, Advisor, Ministry of Revenue and Forest, Maharashtra, Dr Mohinder Singh, Director, Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan and Dr Jaswinder Singh, Principal, Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College. All these renowned personalities graced the event with their presence.
The conference was started with a Shabad recital performed by a group of college students. Post this, various speakers who attended the conference highlighted the teachings and achievements of Guru Nanak Dev. Professor Sawhney shared the Guru’s philosophy of Ek Onkar highlighting gender equality and also talked about the significance of his teachings in present times. Carrying forward from Professor Sawhney, Hamid Ansari explained how the modern generation can implement his teachings in their lives.
While Dr Mohinder Singh acknowledged various aspects of Sikhism and humanity by throwing light on the dialogues between Guru Nanak Dev and his disciple Mardana, Dr Afroz Ahmed emphasized upon the environmental concerns discussed in Guru Nanak Dev’s divine poems.
The event turned out to be a great learning experience for one and all. In a nutshell, the conference talked about the contribution of Guru Nanak Dev to history and politics, his forever relevant teachings, ways to implement his teachings in modern times and his divine work in literature. Â
