The uniqueness of thought of Guru Nanak Dev ji and condemnation of the attempts by writers to deny him his rightful place in the history dominated a function of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee at which the foundation stone of a new institution The Sikh Maha Vidyala was laid and at which the committee conferred the title of ‘Gurmat Acharya’ and honored the author of It has Sri Guru Granth Sahib-Bhagat Bani Bhag Giani Gurdit Singh at a function held at Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib Guru Kanshi recently.

Sardar Baldev Singh the president of the SGPC bestowed a siropa on the author and presented him with a sliver plaque to mark the committee’s appreciation for his research on the Sikh manuscripts and his multi-faceted panthic seva. In his address he paid tributes to the scholarship of Giani ji and refereed to the dedication and commitment of the scholar.

Dr. Gulwant Singh of the Punjabi University Patiala said that the author had gone where ever the Bhagats belonged to an accumulated evidence to demonstrate the originality and distinctiveness of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s thought and bani. Citing his own experiences he said that the author had managed to see and study numerous manuscripts which were inaccessible He said that the research by Giani ji had helped in establishing the Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib as the fifth Takhat of the Sikhs.

Sardar Manjit Singh Calcutta the Secretary of the SGPC in his address praised the painstaking research by the author and prayed to the Almighty to grant him the time to finish the proposed 4 other volumes on the history of the Sri Guru Granth He also spoke about the Giani ji’s seva in the Kendrya Sri Guru Singh Sabha as its General Secretary as well as its President and the literature produced by the Singh Sabha Patrika which is edited by him. The SGPC had bought the book to spread the message contained in it throughout the world he added.

Principal Kartar Singh Shergill placed on record the substantial Sewa of the Sikh panth done by Giani Gurdit Singh.

Giani Mewa Singh Bhindranwale Giani Har Bhagat Singh Narang wal and Bhai Manjit Singh Jathedar of the Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib in their lectures lauded the work done by Giani ji on Guru Granth Sahib

In his address Giant ji said he was a product of this era who had over the last many decades sought to proclaim the uniqueness and originality of Guru Nanak Dev ji. He said he was glad that he had been able to finish one significant part of his quest and requested the sangat to pray that Waheguru would make him complete the work he had started.

In a resolution on December 19,1990 the Executive Committee of the SGPC had expressed its appreciation for the book for removing the misconceptions and misinformation which impinged upon the paramount status and divine glory of the founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev ji.

The author Giani Gurdit Singh by his untiring efforts and devotion had used rare manuscripts and relevant material to give unchallengeable evidence and to demonstrate that Guru Nanak Dev ji influenced his contemporary Bhagats in many ways and that they because of this influence adopted the path of Gurmat Giani Gurdit Singh by writing this learned thoroughly researched treatise has fulfilled the duty of Gurmat Acharya and that of a sentinel of Sikh tenets the resolution said.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 2, 1991