WASHINGTON DC: Guru Nanak Foundation of America (GNFA) held its Annual Youth Solo Kirtan Samelan on February 18, 1995 at the Gurdwara Sahib. There were four age groups of children: 5-7:8-11; 12-15; and 16-21.

Over 60 children participated in the samelan. The Sadh Sangat comprised of the participants family and friends, those who encouraged the children. There was a distinguished panel of six judges who were Dr. Gurjaipal Singh, Dr. Satnam Singh, Dr. Gajinder Singh Ahuja, Dr. Gurdeep Singh Bawa, Paramjit Singh Bedi, and Mrs. Jasbir Kaur. The program was started by Ardas and Vaak. After that, the same lan started and lasted for six hours. The. results of the competition are as follows:

Group 1: 1st place: Bishanjeet Singh: 2nd place: Simran Kaur Arora; 3rd place: Haripreet Singh Mayo. Group 2: 1st place: Simranjit Singh Bawa; 2nd place: Tarleen Kaur Saini; 3rd place: Bincy P. Singh.

Group 3: 1st place: Simranjit Kaur Sandhu; 2nd place: Jagjot Kaur; 3rd place: Joganjot Kaur Dhariwal & Manjit Kaur.

Group 4: 1st place: Navneet Kaur Dhariwal: 2nd place: Amrit Kaur, 3rd place: Harpreet Kaur Matta & Aman Kaur,

The Chairman of GNFA, Dr. R.S. Sidhu addressed the Sadh Sangat and acknowledged the dedicated sewa performed by GNFA’s Raagi Jatha Bhai Jagmohan Singh Ji. Saropas and a plaque were given to each of the Bhai Sahibs.

All the credit and hard work go to the main coordinators, S. Joginder Singh Matta and S. Bakhshish Singh, for arranging such a successful program. We hope that such programs as this will encourage the young Sikh generation as well as the older Sikh generation to become more involved.

The Southern Asian Institute-Columbia University

International Conference “Agriculture of the Punjab”

NEW YORK: An international conference on “Agriculture of the Punjab” will be held on Saturday April 1, 1995, under the auspices of the Sikh Studies Program at Columbia University. Earlier conferences in this Seri focused on: “Sikh Studies: The American Agenda” (1989), “Sikh Theology” (1990)” The Sikh Diaspora” (1933), and “Post-Partition Punjabi Literature” (1994). The holding of conference at Columbia in the past years has proved very successful in imparting information about matters relating to Sikhism and the Punjab to scholarly community as well as general public.

The Punjab, a Sikh majority state, occupies 1.53% of the geographical area of India, but contributes approximately 60% of the food grain pro- cured by the government. The agricultural production of the state is by far the highest in South Asia, and matches well with the top productivity areas of the world.

In the one day event at Columbia, leading scholars from fields like, agriculture, economics, history, political sciences, and sociology, will focus on the developments in agriculture in the Punjab during the past century, their relations to the changing socio-political reality of the region, and assess the future direction of Punjab agriculture in its larger global perspective. We hope at the end of the day a coherent picture of the agricultural developments in the Punjab and their resulting effects on the history of the region will clearly emerge. The event is also intended to highlight the crucial role that the regions like the Punjab could play in the global planning related to food production. The program is as follows: 9:30-9:45 Welcome by John S. Hawley, Columbia University. 9:45-1:00 Morning Session. Philip Oldenburg, Columbia University, Chair

David Gilmartin, University of North Carolina, Raleigh, “The Modernization of Punjabi Agriculture Under the British and Its Socio-political Implications for the Region.”

Jan Talbot, Coventry University, England “A Survey of Agricultural Development in Western Punjab after 1947.”

Nirvikar Singh, University of California, Santa Cruz, “The Green Revolution in Eastern Punjab: The Economics of Technological Change.” Harbans Singh Sidhu, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, “Development of Agro Industries in an Agrarian Economy (A Case Study of the Punjab).”

Gurharpal Singh, De Montfort University, England, “Agricultural Development in Eastern Punjab and the Political Storm of the Past Decade.” 2:00-5:30 Afternoon Session Ainslie T. Embree, Columbia Univ. Chair Sukhdev Singh, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, “From Layalpur to Ludhiana: The Contribution of Education to Agriculture.”

Shinder Thandi, Coventry University, England, “Remittance from Overseas and the Agricultural Development in Eastern Punjab.”

P.N. Mukherji, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi. “Non-Political Efforts to Sustain Agricultural Development in Eastern Punjab.”

Harbans Singh, Monteclair State University, Upper Montclair “Agriculture in the Punjab: A Global Perspective.”

S.S. Johi, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, “Agriculture in the Punjab: Future Directions.”

Holy Sims, State University of New York, Albany, “Until It’s Gone… The Vanishing Frontiers in the Punjab’s Agricultural Development.”

The New Jersey Farm Bureau has kindly offered to take the conference participants on a field trip on Sunday, April 2 to show them agriculture related activities in the garden state.

For additional information, please call Gurinder Singh Mann at 212-854-5689.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 17, 1995