By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 17 Aug: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in a felicitation programme organised by Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Dehradun, on the occasion of implementing the registration system of ‘Anand Karaj’ among the Sikh community at the Gurdwara located at Saharanpur Chowk on Thursday.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister announced that an amount of Rs 25 lakhs would be given from the Minority Welfare Fund for the Gurudwara. The Sikh society has opened schools for the children of poor Sikh families and other poor sections of society. Rs 25 lakh will be provided for making resources available at such schools.
While saluting Guru Nanak Dev, Chief Minister Dhami said that the spirit of service should increase by the day and the blessings of the Guru should remain for the entire state. He said that the demand for the Anand Karaj Act was raised for the first time in 1909. After that, the Sikh community had to fight a long battle to get it enacted. The state government has fulfilled the century-old demand of the Sikh community by approving the Anand Karaj Act. The implementation of this act will promote the spirit of women empowerment in the Sikh community, registration of all marriages will also help prevent child marriage and polygamy. The Act will also enable women to exercise their rights of maintenance and adoption of children from husbands, besides enabling widowed women to claim inheritance.
CM Dhami added that, it is the result of the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that desire of the Sikh community to build the Kartarpur Corridor had been fulfilled. To remember the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh on 26 December, a historic decision was taken to celebrate “Veer Bal Diwas” for the first time. A ropeway is being constructed from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand. After the construction of this ropeway, the number of pilgrims coming to Hemkund Sahib would increase, as the 19 km distance can be covered by the ropeway in just 45 minutes.
Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama, MLA Khajan Das and office bearers of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha were present on the occasion.
