AI Generated Summary
- As Sri Amritsar Sahib approaches the 450th anniversary of its founding, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has set in motion a year-long programme that will look beyond commemoration to examine how the historic city can preserve its character while responding to the demands of the future.
- Singh said the larger objective was to connect Amritsar’s 450-year journey with the aspirations of coming generations and strengthen its position internationally as a city that combines spiritual and cultural heritage with the requirements of a modern urban centre.
- The university is also proposing a Light and Sound Show presenting Amritsar’s journey from its foundation and spiritual origins through the development of its cultural and social identity to the possibilities that lie ahead.
As Sri Amritsar Sahib approaches the 450th anniversary of its founding, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has set in motion a year-long programme that will look beyond commemoration to examine how the historic city can preserve its character while responding to the demands of the future.
The university initiative will bring scholars, policymakers, professionals, cultural figures, industry representatives, civil society, young people and the Punjabi and Sikh diaspora into a wider conversation on Amritsar’s past, present and future. Among its principal outcomes will be an “Amritsar Policy Document”, envisioned as a roadmap identifying the city’s needs, opportunities and priorities for long-term development.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Karamjeet Singh, who is leading the initiative, has constituted two committees for the programme. A 13-member Advisory Committee of scholars and eminent personalities will provide direction, while a 20-member High-Powered Committee drawn from the university faculty will be responsible for planning and executing activities during the anniversary year.
At the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, Prof. Singh described the 450th anniversary as an opportunity not merely to revisit Amritsar’s history, but to consider what the city should become in the decades ahead.
Founded by the fourth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, Amritsar occupies a unique place in the religious and spiritual landscape of the subcontinent. Over the centuries, however, its identity has also been shaped by commerce, literature, art, folk traditions, agriculture, industry and major historical events. The university intends to bring these different strands together in its study of the city.
The exercise will examine subjects ranging from religious heritage, Punjabi language and literature to trade, industry, agriculture, environment, water resources and urban development. Amritsar’s experience of historical tragedies, its resilience through periods of upheaval and its contribution to national and international history will also form part of the programme.
The proposed policy document will emerge from consultations and discussions conducted over the year. It is expected to define areas in which government departments, universities, research institutions, cultural organisations, businesses, civil society groups and the diaspora can contribute to Amritsar’s development while safeguarding its heritage.
GNDU also plans to publish a comprehensive booklet documenting the many dimensions of the city and its evolution over the past four-and-a-half centuries.
A major international conference is being planned as part of the anniversary programme. Scholars, policymakers, professionals and community leaders from India and abroad are expected to deliberate on Amritsar’s historical significance, contemporary concerns and future possibilities.
The global Punjabi and Sikh diaspora will have a significant role in the exercise. Prof. Singh said the memories and emotional connections of people associated with Amritsar around the world remained an integral part of the city’s living heritage and should therefore find representation in the anniversary initiative.
The university is also proposing a Light and Sound Show presenting Amritsar’s journey from its foundation and spiritual origins through the development of its cultural and social identity to the possibilities that lie ahead.
Young people, meanwhile, are expected to become active participants in documenting the city. GNDU proposes to select 450 youth as “Amritsar Ambassadors”, who will collect and share stories of neighbourhoods, institutions, communities, personalities and heritage associated with Amritsar.
Students will also participate in planning and implementing activities during the year, an approach intended to make the younger generation stakeholders in the exercise rather than simply an audience for anniversary events.
Prof. Singh said the larger objective was to connect Amritsar’s 450-year journey with the aspirations of coming generations and strengthen its position internationally as a city that combines spiritual and cultural heritage with the requirements of a modern urban centre.
The 13-member Advisory Committee includes Navdeep Suri, Dr Avtar Singh, Gurjot Kaur, Harjinder Singh Randhawa, Ravinder Singh Robin, Gunbir Singh, Kewal Dhaliwal, Dr Navdeep Kaur, Dr Ranjit Singh Ghuman, Prof. Sarabjot S. Behl, Prof. Radha Sharma, S. Kulwant Singh Ankhi and Himani Arora.
Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Harvinder Singh Saini welcomed the Advisory Committee members at its first meeting, while Registrar Prof. K.S. Chahal proposed the vote of thanks.
