Ambala, October 24 (R. Singh):- According to information provided by Jaskaran Singh from Drammen, Norway, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, visited Mata Gujri Ji Punjabi School in the Drammen area of Norway to review its functioning. The school is run through the efforts of the local Sikh community. Afterwards, he paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Niwas in nearby Lier, Drammen.
At Mata Gujri Ji Punjabi School, which operates with the support of the Norwegian government, Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj visited the various classes from Grade One to Grade Four and interacted with Sikh children learning their mother tongue, Punjabi. He asked them questions about Punjabi and Sikh history, which the children answered well. He also spoke with the teachers teaching Punjabi and advised them to provide children with basic knowledge of Sikh history alongside the Punjabi language. Expressing satisfaction with the school's functioning, he urged those involved to continue the initiative in the same manner.
Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj said that Sikhs and Punjabis living in any part of the world should make efforts to teach Punjabi to their children so that they remain connected with their heritage, history and traditions. He said children are like empty vessels and that if parents impart an understanding of religion, Gurbani and their mother tongue alongside worldly knowledge, their personalities will develop into knowledgeable and virtuous individuals. Parents, gurdwara management committees and other responsible organisations and individuals should ensure that children remain connected with their motherland by keeping them connected with their mother tongue. Just as efforts are made to organise kirtan, katha and other religious programmes, special initiatives are also needed to connect children with Punjabi written in the Gurmukhi script.
He said that understanding the letter ‘Ura’ and maintaining the joora, or Sikh hair-knot, are fundamental elements of Sikh education. If children learn Punjabi in the Gurmukhi script, they can easily read and understand the Gurbani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. He said he was greatly satisfied after interacting with the children and that Punjabi boys and girls were committed to promoting their mother tongue with pride and respect.
Thereafter, Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj visited Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Niwas in Lier, Drammen, where he shared thoughts on Gurmat and Sikh history with the local Sikh congregation. He said that wherever Sikhs have settled around the world, they have sought the support and guidance of the Shabad Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and established gurdwaras. He said gurdwaras are sources of guidance for living, where people connect with Gurbani and Sikh history and gain an understanding of Sikh traditions.
He said that the tradition of weekly congregational gatherings at gurdwaras abroad should always be maintained. These gatherings provide an opportunity to join the Guru’s congregation, get to know one another and remain aware of each other’s joys and sorrows. He encouraged the Sikh congregation in Drammen to visit Punjab from time to time with their children and to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sachkhand, and take a holy dip there.
