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Sonia extols virtues of Sikhism

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today extolled the Sikh community's sacrifices for nation-building and said the 'Gurus' had laid the foundation of a caste-less, class-less society embodying the principles of sarva dharma sambhav.

Paying obeisance to the holy 'Jyoti' (flame) from Patnasahib gurdwara, which is being taken through Delhi to Anandpur Sahib for the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa Panth, Gandhi said the Sikh ''Gurus'' had shown the way not only to the community but to the entire nation.

''The Sikh history is a saga of sacrifice and service to uphold humanity and brotherhood. Guru Teg Bahadur sacrificed his life for the nation and society while Guru Gobind Singh is an epitome of bravery and brotherhood,'' she said at a function jointly organised by the tercentenary celebrations committee and the Delhi government.

Gandhi said the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, contained not only the teachings of Guru Nanak but also those of several Hindu and Muslim saints. Also, the five persons who were ordained as the 'Panj Pyaras' by Guru Gobind Singh on April 13 1699 to found the Khalsa Panth belonged to different parts of the country and to different castes.

Earlier, the convoy carrying the holy 'Jyoti' was received at the Badarpur border by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, her cabinet colleagues Mahinder Singh Saathi and Parvez Hashmi and several MLAs this morning.

After being taken to several parts of the city for ''darshan'' by the general public, the 'Jyoti' would leave for Punjab.

The 'Jyoti' is being accompanied by several weapons of Guru Gobind Singh in special saffron coloured, fibre glassed Tata Mini trucks.

Besides Gandhi, others present at the function were Delhi Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor, Punjab Congress Committee president Amrendra Singh, several Delhi ministers and MLAs and senior Congress leaders including Manmohan Singh, R K Dhawan, Rajesh Pilot, Ambika Soni, Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar, and Jag Parvesh Chandra.

Former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma was the only prominent BJP leader visible at the function dominated by Congress leaders.

The Delhi government has declared April 13 a holiday and chalked out a year-long calendar of events to celebrate the tercentenary of the Khalsa Panth, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said today.

Indraprastha University being set up by Delhi government would be re-named as Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a large public park in the capital named as Guru Gobind Singh park, Dikshit added.

UNI

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