Background
Sikhism is one of the world's youngest religions. Founded by Sri Guru Nanak Dev , Sikhismji today has over 27 million followers worldwide. The Sikh has its roots firmlyDharam embedded in the philosophy of its place of origin. Sikhism shares many Indic philosophical and theological concepts with traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, including dharma (moral duty), (the cycle of birth and rebirth), (the law of action) andsamsara karma moksha (liberation). In fact, the word Hindustan itself was coined by Guru Nanak, and it is found in several hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is important to recall that his birth, and through him the religion of Sikhism, took place at a time. When India was witnessing a war between two religions. Peace existed only in a vacuum that Guru Nanak filled through his message of tolerance, social justice, and inclusivity. Witness to the atrocities of religious fanatics and the social decay on account of evils such as dogmatic rituals, oppression of women, superstitions, untouchability and the caste system, Guru Nanak wished to build a community of self-respecting men and women devoted to God.
Establishment
Embracing the teachings of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, on his 550th Birth Anniversary, Punjab Govt. initiated to launch Chair in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Chitkara University is proud to be one of the 11 Universities across the Globe to have been bestowed a 'Chair in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,' endowed with research on the life of Guru Nanak. In recognition to valuable contribution in the field of Education, Govt. to Punjab conferred Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Achievers award to Dr Ashok K Chitkara, Chancellor & was honoured by Capt Amarinder Singh, H'ble Chief Minister Punjab. The Chair at Chitkara University, Punjab campus, supported by Punjab Government, will promote research around the teachings of the founder of Sikh religion, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Purpose
The teachings of Guru Nanak, the nine Gurus who followed him, and the Guru Granth Sahib, are anchored in humanism. The message of universal brotherhood and social justice are captured by the core tenets of the faith — Kirat Kamai (earning an honest living); Vand Chakko (community and public service); and Simran and Naam Jaapo (prayer, meditation, and introspection). In the words of Guru Nanak, it is important that “before becoming a Muslim, a Hindu, a Sikh or a Christian” one should become “a human first”. Hence, the main purpose of establishing the Chair was to:
- Remind humanity about their roots and ensure that the youth takes responsibility of human values and ethics to ensure the development
- Spread the message of first Sikh Guru of "Pavan Guru, Pani Pita, Maata Dharat". The emphasis will be laid on preserving our natural resources for future generations through designing various research studies
- Uphold and spread the virtues of, the first tenet, Kirat Kamai and not succumb to the temptations of dishonesty and malfeasance
- Follow work ethic, honesty, and integrity across all domains of life and even in own business ventures or leading multinational corporations.
- Emphasize on second tenet, Vand Chakko, and promote the practice of community and public service. Over the past century, as nations across the globe pursued rapid industrialization it was the environment, which paid the price. The virtue of 'Vand Chakko' promotes sharing and donating these material gains with the community, creating a community focused inclusive method of development.
- Address climate change and unsustainable production in a more holistic manner by renouncing the practice of material accumulation according to Guru Nanak Dev Ji's preaching's.
- Introspect through prayer and meditation on the important aspects of life according to the final tenet, Naam Japo.
SRI GURU NANAK DEV JI CHAIR
Dr. Ashok K Chitkara
PATRONCHANCELLOR, CHITKARA UNIVERSITY
Dr. Madhu Chitkara
PATRONPRO-CHANCELLOR, CHITKARA UNIVERSITY
Prof. Harkiran Kaur
Chairperson
Dr. Inderbir Singh
Member Secretary
Ar. Jasmeet Kaur
Coordinator
Mr. Sherab Tenzin
Manager OperationsMission
To support research and dissemination of the Guru's teaching through academic courses.
To comprehensively and in a focused manner, contribute to furthering the message of peace and universal brotherhood.
To provide the academic setting to ensure that the research undertaken conforms to the highest standards
To provide a forum for Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Research, Academia, Philosophers, Scholar level dialogues, seminars, symposia and the like on the themes related to Guru Nank Dev Ji & his Teachings
Functions
The Guru Nanak Dev Ji Chair for Human Values & Professional Ethics has been established to undertake studies on relevance of the Philosophy and teachings of the Great Guru for the welfare-based progress of the whole humanity. It will provide a multidisciplinary platform for quality research along with publication and propagation of the knowledge thus generated. In particular the chair will undertake research in the areas of:
- To support research and dissemination of the Guru's teaching through academic courses
- Gender Equality & Women Empowerment
- Interfaith Dialogue
- Environment & Sustainability Socio-economic inclusiveness
The Chair will also collect the archival sources pertaining to the Guru Nanak's Philosophy, generate new demographic and ethnographic information and study the extant beliefs and practices of the First Guru of Sikhs. In this context, the Chair will execute research projects,contribute towards publication of articles, monographs and books. The Chair will also organize special lectures, symposia and seminars for disseminating Guru Nanak's Philosophy to the forums of professional historians, national and international youths periodically. With the virtue to adopting these tenets humans will be able to progress with faith and global harmony, as at present we live in times of rabid misinformation and polarization, which causes radicalization, particularly among the youth. Sikhism when established, was way ahead of its time. 500 years ago, it provided us with the blueprint of a modern state: our much-cherished ideas of fundamental rights such as right to freedom of expression, right to equality, and women's empowerment, which are the building blocks of any civilized society.
The Guru Granth Sahib itself is an embodiment of dialogue, religious pluralism and genial inter-religious relationship. Thus, in today's age of hatred, bigotry and violence, Guru Nanak's teachings can help build peace and inter-faith harmony. The horrors of bombings are grim reminders that we do not have the luxury of ignoring this message of peace which humanity received more than five centuries ago. Guru Nanak was born in India, but his message belongs to all of humanity. As we gear up to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), national policies are being adopted to tackle hunger, poverty, water insecurity etc. These efforts will only have a marginal impact until the intrinsic corruption, which is rooted in greed and dishonesty, isn’t responded to.
India – A Spiritual Home
At the age of 60, an American national, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, for such notable works as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, had the following to say about India in his diary as he travelled through India and what is now known as Sri Lanka, between January and April 1896: “In religion, all other countries are paupers. India is the only millionaire” adding “India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.” He went to say: “So far as I am able to judge nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked.” And if that wasn't enough, this is what Albert Einstein had to say about India: “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.” India has the unique distinction of being the birthplace of four religions – Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. This organic process has not only had a transformative impact on the world, but it is a testament to spiritual richness of our land.
Peace through Dialogue
Inter-faith dialogue and cooperation have been a key part of Sikhism, since the time of Guru Nanak, long before the birth of what is now called the inter-faith movement. Guru Nanak Devji taught that engaging in dialogue, understanding and respecting the point of view of the other was essential for inter-faith harmony. It is said that Guru Nanak travelled for 27 years, dividing his journey in five phases (or five Udasis). The expanse covered ranged from Mecca in West and Sikkim in the East; to Sri Lanka in the South and Tibet in the North. During this time, he met ordinary citizens, kings, religious leaders and scholars of all faiths (including Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, and Sufis). In all his interactions, he spread the message of universal brotherhood, peace, harmony, compassion, righteousness, and truth. Chitkara University is committed to make their best efforts to enable the Chair to run in perpetuity. We strongly believe that the 'Guru Nanak Dev Ji Chair' will enable further research on how best the message of Guru Nanak can be shared in India and beyond, and how mankind can benefit from this message, which has an eternal value to make our world a better place.The chair will comprehensively and in a focused manner, contribute to furthering the message of peace and universal brotherhood. The academic setting provide by the University will ensure that the research undertaken conforms to the highest standards, andcaptures the message encapsulated on the tail of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that undertook its maiden journey from Amritsar to London on October 31, 2019, Ek Onkar
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Chitkara University, Punjab, Chandigarh Patiala National Highway, Punjab 140401