Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal launched three books on Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College, University of Delhi today on the occasion of 550thBirth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The National Book Trust under Ministry of HRD has published three Punjabi titles – Guru Nanak Bani, Nanak Bani, and Sakhian Guru Nanak Dev to spread the message of Guru Nanak Dev. The title Guru Nanak Bani has also been published in Urdu, Odia, Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati were also released on the occasion. The translation in Assamese, Bangla, Kannada, Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Sindhi and English has been taken up.While addressing the gathering Shri Pokhriyal congratulated National Book Trust for bringing out the books on this occasion which are relevant in these times, as the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev are apt in today’s world of complexities and the youth world over needs to follow his philosophy of humanity, equality and ‘One God’. Shri Pokhriyal also informed that in addition to the Guru Nanak Dev Chairs in Indian Universities, the Government has announced Guru Nanak Dev Chairs in Universities in United Kingdom as well as in Canada. He also informed that many programmes, seminars, discussions, discourses and book release functions are being coordinated world over by Indian missions abroad as well. The HRD Minister also announced that an Inter faith Center will be set up at Guru Nanak Dev University in Punjab at a cost of Rs 493 crores.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal expressed her happiness knowing that National Book Trust had already published Guru Nanak Bani in five Indian languages and was planning to publish it in 15 Indian languages so that the teachings of Guru Nanak Devji reach millions of Indians across the nation, and everyone benefits from his message of ‘One God’ and peace amongst the fellow beings.On this occasion President of Delhi SGPC, Shri Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Principal of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College Dr Jaswinder Singh, Former Rajya Sabha Member and currently Chairman, governing body of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College Shri S. Tarlochan Singh and Former Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University Patiala Dr Jaspal Singh were also present.The details of the three books published in Punjabi by National Book Trust, India are: The book titled Guru Nanak Bani, compiled by Bhai Jodh Singh has collected various verses from the original Bani of Guru Nanak Dev and collated them theme-wise. The writings of Guru Nanak Dev have relevance in the current scenario as they play the role of beacon to the disillusioned. The book Nanak Bani (compiled by Manjit Singh) is a collection of five prominent writings (paanch bania) of Guru Nanak Dev. The ‘Janamsakhis’ literally meaning birth stories, are writings which profess to be the biographies of Guru Nanak. Sakhian Guru Nanak (compiled by Jagtarjit Singh) is a book based on these life stories of Guru Nanak Dev. This is an illustrated book especially meant for children.The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, passed a Resolution in November 2018, to celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the year 2019, throughout the country and across the globe, in a grand and befitting manner along with State Governments and the Indian Missions abroad. One of the highlights of the decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting was that the National Book Trust, India will publish Gurbani in different Indian languages. UNESCO will publish Guru Nanak Dev’s writings in major world languages.