Close To Each Other

By Gagandeep Ahuja, *VC lays foundation stone of “Baba Farid Centre for Sufi Studies”* - India News - India
Sat. August 14, 2010

Patiala: Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, laid the foundation stone of “Baba Farid Centre for Sufi Studies” on the University campus here.

The first phase of the Centre will cost Rs 17 lakhs [USD 36'450.--] covering a plinth area of 2,000 sq feet [186 sq. m.] which will be later on expanded.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jaspal Singh said that Centre will be devoted to carry out various tasks related to academics and scholarship in addition to holding seminars, conferences and workshops related to various aspects of Sheikh Farid life and his contribution in the field of religion and spiritualism.

The Centre, he said, will carry forward Baba Farid’s legacy of spreading the message of love and stamping out the menace of hatred that is spreading its tentacles all around the globe. The process of globalization, ironically, is strengthening and proliferating the cult of abhorrence and violence instead of bringing human beings close to each other, Dr Singh said.

The Centre, in collaboration with Sufi foundation of India, later arranged a kawaali programme in which noted kawaal Anwar Khan recited Sufi kalaams.

Dr Nashir Naqvi proposed vote thanks and presented his views about Baba Sheikh Farid.

Dean, Academic Affairs, Dr S.S. Tiwana, Registrar, Dr Manjit Singh, noted litterateur, Dr S.S. Noor, Chief Engineer, AJS Sandhu were also present on the occasion.

[Picture: Punjab University, Patiala, India]