Varsity to be named after Guru Gobind Singh, says Khattar

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 12

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced to set up a university in a district of north Haryana to be named after Guru Gobind Singh.

Khattar also announced to establish three new passport offices in Karnal, Hisar and Faridabad taking the number of such offices in the state to five.

“I had requested the Union Minister Sushma Sawraj yesterday to establish more passport offices in Haryana to provide relief to residents, who have to go to Ambala, Chandigarh and Gurugram for passport-related work. She has given her nod,” Khattar said while addressing a gathering at a state-level ‘samagam’, ‘Chardi Kalan’, held here to mark the 350th Parkash Utsav of Guru Gobind Singh. Thousands of devotees from across the state participated in the ‘samagam’.

Khattar also announced to set up a museum on Sikh history in Ambala on the junction connecting Amritsar-Delhi and Ambala-Shimla roads, besides naming Government College, Assandh, after Baba Fateh Singh, the younger son of Guru Gobind Singh. A majestic welcome gate to be named after Guru Nanak Dev would be constructed on Karnal-Kaithal road at Chirao Mor.

Sporting a saffron turban, the CM gave his speech in Punjabi and recalled the yatra of Guru Gobind Singh to Anandpur Sahib from Kapal Mochan. After the Bhagani war in 1688, Guru Gobind Singh while on his way to Annandpur Sahib from Kapal Mochan stayed for a while at Nada Sahib, Khattar said. “In his memory, the road from Nada Sahib to Paonta Sahib except state highway would be named after Guru Gobind Singh.”

Khattar also announced to renovate Guru Gobind Singh Library in Ambala, besides naming the road from Manav Chowk, Ambala, to Lakhnaur Sahib, after Mata Gujri, the mother of Guru Gobind Singh.  Lakhnaur Sahib was an ancestral home Mata Gujri.

He also announced that a VLDA College to be set up at Lakhnaur Sahib in Ambala district will be named after Mata Gujri.

Recalling the sacrifice of Bhai Kushal Singh, a native of Badh Khalsa village in Sonepat and a follower of Guru Teg Bahadur, the CM announced to set up a statue of Kushal Singh in Badh Khalsa village in Sonepat district.

“Badh Khalsa has its name inscribed in the Sikh history in golden letters due to Bhai Kushal Singh and we are proud of him,” the CM said.

Emphasising on the development of Punjabi language, the second language of the state, in Haryana, he said vacant posts of 397 PGT and 392 TGT would be filled soon in the various government schools. New posts of teachers in Punjabi would also be sanctioned in schools as per requirement, he added.

He accused the previous government of not celebrating a Sikh Utsav in such a befitting manner and said since the inception of Haryana in 1966, none of the previous state government had celebrated a Sikh Utsav at such a scale. He also recalled the sacrifice of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.