Details of activities being undertaken by CAOF (Change Agents Of Future), a UNITED SIKHS project
Project Incharge: Prof. Jagdish Singh
Edu. Quali: M.A. (Punjabi)-Gold Medalist, M. Phil
Punjab Univ., Chandigarh
Experience: Taught at Graduate level in SPN College, Mukerian, Dt. Hoshiarpur for abt. 13 yrs.
Start of Project November 1, 2004
End date of Project October 30, 2009
List of activities under CAOF project
I) Weekly Classes at Khalsa College, Amritsar.
Weekly classes are being undertaken at Khalsa College, Amritsar. These classes aim to have look at the various dimensions of the modern age and bring them into serious dialogue with Sikhism. At present, the interaction between the modern age and Sikhism is at a very superficial level. CAOF classes aim to evoke such Sikh responses towards life that life would automatically lean towards the Sikh ideal and spirit. A study from the Sikh spiritual viewpoint is being undertaken of major works of literature of the entire world, with special attention on Punjabi and Indian literary works. It is an effort to enable the students to evaluate these works according to the understanding evolved through Sikh spiritual attitude. An effort to develop a new Sikh idiom of literature is being undertaken and creativity of the students is being invoked in a very healthy manner. Prof Jagdish Singh undertakes lectures at the following times:
Saturday: 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm
Sunday : 10.00 am to 11.30 am
Most of the lectures are followed by informal discussions that extend for hours at times.
Syllabus: The copy of the syllabus that is being taught can be seen in Annexure-I
Students : A detail of number of students, names and other details can be seen in Annexure -II
II) Guest lectures and special lectures:
The CAOF undertakes Special and Guest Lectures occasionally.
The following Guest lecturers have delivered lectures on topics relating to the syllabus of the CAOF class.
- Prof. Sham Singh College, Gardiwala
- Prof . Avtar Singh Ramgarhia College, Phagwara
- Prof. Harpal Singh S.N.College, Banga
- S.Paramvir Singh Poet and author of in-print book “ Surat di lo”
Special lectures:
i) Lecture on Sufism. Delivered by Prof. Jagdish Singh at Khalsa College, Amritsar in…
III) Seminars.
The following seminars were organized under the CAOF project during the last year.
i) Seminar at Khalsa College
The following students and research scholars read out papers in Punjabi:
1. S. Manjinder Singh, Research Scholar, Department of Punjabi, GNDU, Amritsar
Topic:Gurmat Sangeet de ruhani pasaar( Spiritual dimensions of Sikh Religious Music)
2. S. Amandeep Singh, Student, Guru Nanak Studies Department, GNDU, Amritsar
Topic: Guru Granth Sahib vich gyan di disha (The concept of divine knowledge in Guru Granth Sahib)
3.S. Sarabjit Singh, Student, Khalsa College of Education, Amritsar.
Topic: Sirdar Kapur Singh Sikh Scholar de taur te. Sirdar Kapur Singh as a Sikh Scholar.
IV) Camps and Historical tours
The following Camps and Historical tours were organised under the CAOF project
1. Gurmat Camp at Sri Anandpur Sahib
Dates: 17th to 20th June, 2005
Camp Details :
1.Shabad Gaayan
Bhai Manjinder Singh and Bhai Tajinder Singh
2. Lectures by:
- Prof. Harpal Singh S.N.College, Banga
- Prof. Avtar Singh Ramgarhia College, Phagwara
- Gurbachan Singh Bachan Ex- Secy SGPC
- Prof Harpal Singh Pannu Guru Gobind Singh Dept. for Comparative religion, Punjabi Univ. Patiala
- Prof Davinder Singh Khalsa College,Chandigarh
- Harsimran Singh Director, Gian Ashram Institute, Anandpur Sahib
- Prabhsharanbir Singh Student, P.U. Chandigarh.
3. Kavi darbar
Poetry recitation by Kawaljit Singh and Paramvir Singh
Historical tour was on 20th June, 2005.
A day long ‘yatra’ on foot was undertaken from Gurudwara Taragarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib to Gurudwara Sri Anand Karaj Sahib, Guru Ka Lahore.
V) Magazine “Vaisakh”
A Quarterly Punjabi Magazine is being brought out. Presently, this Punjabi magazine is handwritten. It is laid out for reading at the CAOF classes after being released. Two editions have been brought out since its inception in April 2005. The second edition of the magazine was a special edition on ‘Kes’ (holy hair). Presently, these editions lie with Prof. Jagdish Singh.
VI) Ecology Protection Programme
The CAOF students, in response to the dwindling population of the small sparrow, undertook to educate the people of a village named Shamsherpur about 28 kms from Amritsar.
In about a span of one month of September, about 150 trees were planted on the village land and about 50 trees were distributed to the people of the village to grow on their own lands.
The village Panchayat was educated about the scientific method of planting trees and was inspired to protect the nature in keeping with the essence of Sikhism.
Site: Vill. Shamsherpur(Chittorgarh)
P.O. Fatehgarh Churian.
Dt. Gurdaspur.
Date of activity: September, 2005
Contact person: S. Harkawalpreet Singh, Sarpanch, Vill. Shamsherpur
Ph no. 9815384845
Annexure-I
SYLLABUS FOR GURMAT CLASS BY CAOF
1. Flights of Consciousness
· Philosophy
· Prose and Poetic Prose
· Fiction
· Poetry
· Myth
· Shaping of Fundamental Transformation and Dual aspect in Mystical Uncertainty
· The Celestial Realms of Saints and Bhagats
· Glory of Guru and Prophet
2. Gurmat Interpretive Systems
· Vedantic, Damdami Taksal, Marxist, Missionary Interpretation based on Prof. Sahib Singh, Hermeneutics
3. Gurmat Concepts
· Naam, Simran, Gyan, Seva, Vairag, Matyrdom, Cosmology, Death, and Bliss etc.
4. Historiography of Sikh History
· Karam Singh Historian, Dr. Ganda Singh, Sirdar Kapur Singh, Bhai Vir Singh, Prof. Puran Singh, Harinder Singh Mahboob
· Marxist View of Sikh History (Sant Singh Sekhon, Kishan Singh, Pritam Singh Azad, Gurcharan Singh Sahansara)
· View of Hindu and Christian Historians ( Gokal Chand Narang, Hari Ram Gupta, Cunningham, Maccauliffe, Mcleod
5. Sikh Rahit Maryada
· Spiritual Dimensions of Kakkars
· Amrit Maryada: Peak of Spiritual Experience
6. Universal and Temporal Expansion of the Divinity of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib
· Gurmata
· Hukamnama
· Sarbat Khalsa
7. Stages of Sikh History
· Guru Age
· Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to Misl Period
· Times of Sikh Rule
· British Occupation to 1947
· 1947 to Present
8. Sikh Literature
· Janam Sakhis, Parchian, Tikas
· Gur Bilas, Panth Parkash, Suraj Parkash Granth
· Writings of Bhai Vir Singh
· Bhai Randhir Singh
· Prof. Puran Singh
9. Sikh Music, Art, and Architecture
10. Sikh Philosophy
· Principal Teja Singh, Dr. Balbir Singh, Bhai Vir Singh, Prof. Puran Singh, Dharam Anant Singh, Sirdar Kapur Singh, Harinder Singh Mahboob, Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Daljit Singh, Avtar Singh, Wazir Singh, Gurbhagat Singh
11. Evaluation of Sikh Panth’s Opinions of Dasam Granth
· Ratan Singh Jaggi, Bhag Singh, Harinder Singh Mehboob, Gurbhagat Singh
Annexure-II
Names of Students, addresses and educational details
S.No. / Name / Address / Qualification/ Present Status /1 / AmandeepSingh / B.Tech.(Comp.Sci.)
Post Graduate Studen(Philosophy)
2 / Sandeep Kaur / Post Graduate Student(Chemistry H Hons.)
3 / Tilak Raj / Research Fellow
In Chemistry.
4 / Shubhpreet Kaur / Graduate Student (Botany Hons.)
5 / Gurdev Singh / M.Tech.(IT) /
Lecturer
6 / Rakesh Kumar / Graduate Student (History)
7 / Pavinder Singh / Graduate Student
(Social Sciences)
8 / Rajvir Kaur / Post Graduate
Student (Physics
Hons.)
9 / Kuldip Singh / B.Sc.(Economics)
MA. (Punjabi)
10 / Sukhwinder Singh / Running a
medical
clinic.
11 / Bhupinder Singh / M.B.A./Working
in HDFC Bank
12 / Harsimran Singh / Student of B.Tech.
(Food Sci.)
13 / Gurvinder Singh / Deptt. Of Botony,G.N.D.U., Amritsar.
14 / Satpreet Singh / Masters Of Comp. Applications
15 / Gursharan Singh / Student of M.Com.
16 / Mohan Singh / Research Fellow
In Physics
17 / Gurwinder Singh / Post Graduate
Student
(Mathematics)
18 / Prabhjot Kaur / Post Graduate Student(Chemistry)
19 / Jagbinder Singh / Deptt. Of Botony,G.N.D.U., Amritsar.
20 / Bikramjit Singh / Post Graduat
Student (English)
21 / Gurpreet Singh / Student of M.B.A.
22 / Talwinder Kaur / Post Graduate Student (Industrial Microbiology)
23 / Harjit Singh / M.A. (Political Sciences),B.Ed.
24 / Manjinder Singh / Research Fellow In Punjabi
25 / Mandeep Kaur / Graduate Student(Chemistry Hons.)
26 / Pavneet Kaur / Graduate Student(Chemistry Hons.)
27 / Ranjit Singh / Diploma(Gurmat Sangeet), M.A.(History)
28 / Kirandeep Kaur / Graduate Student(Chemistry Hons.)
29 / Harpreet Singh / Post Graduation in Applied Chemistry
30 / Satnam Singh / B. Tech.(Mech. Engg.), M.B.A.
31 / Buta Singh / Research Fellow In Political Science.
32 / Gurpal Singh / Post Graduation in English.
33 / Kanwaljit Singh / Post Graduate Student (Punjabi)
34 / Amninder Kaur / Post Graduate Student (Industrial Microbiology)
35 / Damanjit Singh / Research Fellow In Physics
36 / Gurprem Kaur / Graduate Student(Chemistry Hons.)
37 / Divya Arora / Post Graduate Student(Chemistry Hons.)
38 / Shashi Paul / Post Graduate Student (Punjabi)
39 / Kulwant Singh / Post Graduation (Mathematics)
40 / Ravinder Singh / Research Fellow In Physics
41 / Jagjit Singh / Bachelor Student of Architechture(5year)
42 / Harman Singh / Post Graduate Student (Mathematics)
43 / Sarbjit Singh / M.A.(Pol.Sci.), M.A.(History), B.Ed.
44 / Harpreet Singh / Post Graduation (Physics)
45 / Vijay Rana / Post Graduation (Physics)
46 / Sukhwinder Singh / Graduate Student(Human Genetics)
47 / Sarbjit Singh / Graduate Student(Humanities)
48 / Gurjit Singh / Post Graduate Student (Punjabi)
49 / AmtojKaur / Research Fellow in Punjabi (M.Phil.)
50 / Kawaljit Singh Goraya / Post Graduate Student (Punjabi)
51 / Santsewak Singh / Research Fellow in Punjabi (M.Phil.)
52 / Dilbagh Singh / Post Graduation (Agricultural Sciences)
53 / Kawaljit Singh Gill / Post Graduate Student (Punjabi)
54 / Dilbagh Singh / Student of Damdami Taksal, Mehta.
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