CHANDIGARH–January 19, 2012: One-day National Seminar on ‘Representation of Woman and
Dalit: Perspective of Sikhism’ opened with an overwhelming response at P.U. Campus
here today.   The seminar was organized by the Department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies,
Panjab University in collaboration with the Punjabi Academy Delhi

The Seminar began with spiritual invocation of Deh Shiva Var Mohe, Shubh Karman te
Kabahoon na Tarron.

Prof. Jaspal Kaur Kaang, Chairperson, Department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies while
welcoming the participants said that today there is a need to hold on to the Sikh
traditions of Langar, Pangat and Sangat and stop being in the blind race for material
pursuits. She stated that Gurbani should not only be read but should be practiced in
real life. She further emphasized the need for more such seminars and discussions to
awaken the masses and to bring them back to the values enshrined in Gurbani.

Prof. R. C. Sobti, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University complimented Prof. Kaang for her
competence, leadership and organizational skills. While delivering his Inaugural
Address, Prof. Sobti questioned the technology driven development process at the cost
of human values and relations and expressed his anguish over the general concern with
the Self today’s world. He further raised the issue of women’s equality and pointed to
their lower representation in leadership positions. He concluded by calling for the
need to end the dichotomy between theory and practice especially on the issues of
women and dalits.

Prof. Jagbir Singh, Former Head, Department of Punjabi, Delhi University, while
delivering the Keynote Address touched upon our historical treasures in the form of
knowledge in the Rig Veda and the re-emergence of those thoughts in  Medieval
Literature. He emphasized that literature contains truth and therefore connects
immediately in comparison to history and philosophy. He asserted that colonialism
repressed our traditional knowledge by dismissing it as illogical which has now
resurfaced as alternate body of knowledge.

Prof. Gurnek Singh, Vice Chancellor, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Vishav University,
Fatehgarh Sahib, reiterated that the Vision of Sikhism is unifying in nature. By
following the same he added, casteism and discrimination against women automatically
gets eliminated.

Prof. Dalip Kaur Tiwana, Eminent Punjabi Writer, started her discourse by pointing
that women in the west measure their value from the eyes of their male counterpart.
She dwelt upon female Sikh ideals from her novels, ‘Teen Lok Se Nyari’ and ‘Tumhari
Katha Kahi Na Jaaye’ in which powerful women characters have spent their lives in
spiritual relations or for a cause.

Prof. Jaspal Singh, Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, began his
Presidential Address by stating that a process of exploitation of certain categories
has been going on throughout  India comprising three stages of discrimination,
followed by marginalization and finally exclusion. He further stated that once these
categories are excluded, an attempt is made to make sure that they do not come back
into the mainstream. He viewed Dalits and Women as two major categories, which have
suffered the most on account of this process. He gave several examples from Sri Guru
Granth Sahib to point out that the Sikh tradition has made an attempt to bring back
these excluded categories not only to the mainstream, but to the corridors of power.  

Prof. Gurpal Singh proposed a Vote of Thanks.