AMRITSAR: The acting head priest of the Akal Takht, Prof Manjit Singh, has announced the formation of a 151member world Sikh council, under auspices of the Akal Takht, to preserve the distinct Sikh identity and safeguarding their cultural heritage. The acting head priest said the council would be governed by a member executive, He announced the names of eight executive members, with himself being chairman, Three more names would be added later on. Besides, Prof Manjit Singh, other members of the executive include the SGPC president, Mr. G,S, Tohra, and the former Vice Chancellors of the Punjabi University and the Punjab Agricultural University, Dr. H.K. Manmohan Singh, and Dr. Khem Singh Gill.
The secretariat of the council will be located within or outside the Golden Temple complex and the council would maintain a network of regional offices, located in USA, Canada, U.K. Kenya, Dubal, Thailand and Australia, besides a sub office in Chandigarh. The decision regarding the formation of the council was taken at the World Sikh Conference held here in September last year.
Prof Manjit Singh said the foremost task before the council would be to establish a world Sikh university, most probably at Anandpur Aahib, as proposed by the World Sikh conference.
Another important task is 10 establish a “speaking Sikh museum,” also at Anandpur Sahib, All such institutions would be dedicated to 300th birth anniversary of the Sikhs to be celebrated in 1999, he added.
The 15point aims and objects of the council also included advancement of social and economic interests of the Sikhs in the context of new global awareness, promotion of quality education among the Sikhs, promotion of Sikh studies, and encouraging the use of “Singh” and “Kaur” as Surmames.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 17, 1996
