Jalandhar, Punjab (September 02, 2013): It is learnt that the registrar of Lovely Professional University has issued a clarification, while offering an apology, regarding distortion of Sikh history in one of the history course books of LPU.
A letter (dated: 30-08-2013) titled “Clarification” (Spashtikaran) from LPU’s Registrar Monika Gulati reads as follows:-
Clarification
Lovely Professional University – Apology about distortion of Sikh History [Source: AISSF]
“A clarification has been given by Lovely Professional University regarding the MA (History) Hindi book “ Political Structure in India” that the book is subscribed for the Distance Education course being run by the University. The Publisher of this book is a company at Delhi. The book has neither been prepared nor printed by the University. Therefore, they were not aware about the unfortunate controversial comment about the Guru Saheban of Sikh religion. Now that the issue has been brought to our notice, we have decided to immediately withdraw the book from the syllabus and the distributed books are being withdrawn. We are very sorry about this error and we seek apology from the entire Sikh fraternity”.
Dr. (Mrs) Monica Gulati
Registrar.
It is notable that All Indian Sikh Students Federation (Peermohammad) had objected to MA-I History (distance education) course book of Lovely Professional University as the book distorted the historical facts. It referred to Baba Banda Singh ji Bahadur and Maharaja Ranjit Singh in an insulting and derogatory manner.
In a written communication All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Karnail Singh Peermohammed, told Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) that the concocted story about Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji contains false facts which have never been mentioned anywhere. He said that LPU has hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs as this was a deliberate attempt by the Lovely Professional University to distort the Sikh History.
Peermohammad said that on page no. 160 and Chapter 13.2 under title ‘Rise of Sikh Power in Punjab’ goes on to tell that Guru Gobind Singh ji was wounded in an attack by a Pathaan in the year 1708 at a place called ‘Nadir’. He said that the book wrongly but clearly states that ‘when the Guru realised that he wouldn’t be able to survive he confined himself to a room and committed suicide’.
The AISSF president said that the ‘historians’ of LPU didn’t stop here. The book refers to the first Jarnail and founder of ‘the Sikh State’ Baba Banda Singh ji Bahadur only as Banda Bahadur and Maharaja Ranjit Singh as only Ranjit Singh.
Peermohammad had said that the University has will-fully and intentionally tried to degrade and belittle the Sikh Guru and eminent Sikh personalities and as such have lowered the image of Sikhs in public perception. He had demanded that a case under section 295-A be registered against the management of LPU, authors and publishers.
So, far as LPU’s clarification is concerned, it has raised questions of “professionalism” of the University authorities. It is hard to believe that the history book was by recommended to a student of Masters without proper scrutiny of the University, and even if this claim is accepted it’s an act of grave negligence on the parts of the University which puts the credibility of the LPU under question.