PM Modi stresses on need for harmony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Gurbani recital on the occasion of the 547th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. — PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti on Wednesday to underline the importance of harmony and compassion propagated by the founder of Sikhism, a message that assumes significance in the midst of the “intolerance” debate.

“On Guru Nanak Jayanti, my greetings to everyone. Guru Nanak Dev’s message of service, compassion and harmony inspire eternally,” Mr Modi tweeted.

The Prime Minister’s message assumes significance in view of the “intolerance” debate, which has been further fuelled by actor Aamir Khan’s remarks that he was “alarmed” by a number of incidents and his wife Kiran Rao had wondered if they should move out of India.

Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Gurpurab and Prakash Utsav, marks the birthday of the first Sikh guru Guru Nanak. It is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism and is celebrated by Hindus also with equal fervour.