Kalam to visit Punjab tomorrow amid security

Chandigarh, Aug 16: Amid stringent security, President A P J Abdul Kalam will pay visit to two important Sikh and Buddhist pilgrim centres besides inaugurating a war memorial and meeting educationists during his hectic one-day tour of Punjab tomorrow.

The visionary President, who is an ardent advocate of self-help, will visit Sultanpur Lodhi to make an aerial survey of the cleansing operation of Kali Bein rivulet being undertaken by the religious leader Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal and his followers for the past four years without any help from Government.

Baba Seechewal and his follower's unrelenting ''kar sewa'' to clean the Bein, considered sacred as it is associated with Guru Nanak Dev, has been hailed by Dr Kalam as the ''biggest achievement in the country after independence to protect river water and voluntary services and that too, without government help.'' The rivulet still holds important place in Sikh religion as Guru Nanak spent 14 long years by its side. It was after taking a dip in the Kali Bein that the first Sikh Guru attained enlightenment and uttered the sacred words ''ek omkar'' (God is one). Devotees still throng Sultanpur Lodhi on the Guru Purnima day to take a holy dip in the rivulet.

Dr Kalam is also scheduled to inaugurate Sanghol Educational Complex on August 17 at the ancient and archaeologically rich village of Sanghol. The complex was established by the villagers in collaboration with the Shardhanjali Charitable Trust.

The ancient village, also called as Ucha Pind, or the 'high village', is known for the archaeological finds that show it dates from at least the time of the Indus Valley Civilization and was very likely a prosperous and flourishing town around 3000 B C.

Subsequently, Sanghol rose to be a major cultural centre in the Buddhist period and the pottery and other artifacts also indicate the presence of a Buddhist Vihara, the only one of its kind found in this region.

The President will also inaugurate the Chandigarh War Memorial built at the picturesque Bougainvillea Garden here in honour of over 8,500 soldiers from the erstwhile Greater Punjab region comprising Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh UT, who laid their lives for the nation. The plaque of its foundation stone was unveiled by the then Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Lt Gen J F R Jacob on April 28, 2003.

Dr Kalam will visit Jalandhar to interact with vice chancellors of various universities of Punjab and students of Kanya Maha Vidhyalaya(KMV).

Stringent security measures have been made at all the places by administrative and police machinery to ensure that the President's tour is conducted in smooth and safe manner.

UNI