CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Replacing the official anthem “ਦੇਹ ਸਿਵਾ ਬਰੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਇਹੈ” adopted at the time of its establishment in 1969, the Amritsar based Guru Nanak Dev University has now adopted a song written by renowned Punjab poet Surjit Patar as its official anthem. This song, “ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਤਾਜ ਇਲਾਹੀ ਸੀਸ ਸਜਾਵਣ ਵਾਲਾ”, appeared to have gained prominence in the recent events organized by GNDU.
However, a sharp outrage has erupted among the Sikh community over this move of Guru Nanak Dev University as the move is being taken as a gesture of disrespect for Gurbani verses.
Strongly reacting to the move, the SGPC’s chief secretary Dr. Roop Singh has said that the replacement of Gurbani shabad with the simple poetry as an official anthem by the GNDU authorities is unjust. He has termed the move as a controversial one and has appealed the GNDU authorities to rollback its decision as there are already so many controversial issues in the Sikh community.
Dr. Roop Singh has said that the GNDU authorities should focus on its primary motive of bringing forth the Guru Nanak Sahib’s ideology instead of promoting the poetic creativities of a specific person.
However, the GNDU Vice Chancellor Dr. Jaspal Singh Sandhu has said that the Shabad, “ਦੇਹ ਸਿਵਾ ਬਰੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਇਹੈ”, would be recited in the university as earlier with the same reverence. He has claimed that the university anthem was an additional feature and a ‘kul-geet’ (specific anthem as a mark of respect and inculcating a sense of identity to the institution)
