G20 Delegates Visit Golden Temple In Amritsar

Delegates of different countries, who came to Amritsar to participate in a G20 meeting, on Friday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple here. During the visit, the delegates were apprised of the management of 'langar' (community kitchen) and ongoing sewa (voluntary service) at Langar Sri Guru Ramdas Ji. On their arrival here, the delegates were welcomed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami. They learnt about Sri Harmandar Sahib and Sikh history at the interpretation centre here.

The SGPC organised a special event to honour the G20 delegates in a hall at the plaza.  Addressing the delegates, Dhami told them about the importance, maryada (conduct) and the principle of Sri Harmandar Sahib. He said the shrine conveys a message of universal communion, where thousands of pilgrims from across the globe pay obeisance every day. The SGPC chief told the delegates that Amritsar is a historical city established by Guru Ramdas, the fourth Sikh Guru (master), where the Guru settled people of different trades and regions.

He said India's diversity is its specialty, which the delegates are experiencing during their visit. Dhami told the delegates on behalf of SGPC that the G20 countries should formulate and adopt their policies with a holistic approach. He especially stressed the issue of environmental preservation and climate change.“Especially on the issue of environment and climate change, strict decisions and such policies should be devised so that we provide a clean and green planet for our future generations. The Sikh Gurus also taught to preserve the environment in their Gurbani (holy verses)”, said Dhami.

“Policies should ensure that mass migration of the young generation to other countries does not take place and youth are given respectable opportunities and employment as per their skills in their home countries."We further demand from the G20 delegates to look into the matters of human rights and include this issue in the coming G20 summits," added Dhami. More than 55 delegates from the G20 countries, guest countries, and invited organisations such as UNICEF participated in the G20 education working group meeting here. The three-day G20 meet concluded on Friday.