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Written by Varinder Walia, Tribune News Service, Amritsar
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Saturday, 15 December 2007 |
 The government of Pakistan has issued land acquisition notices to lease holders for acquiring 2,500 acres for setting up an international university after the name of Guru Nanak at Nankana Sahib.
The land was allotted in the name of Guru Nanak by Rai Bular Bhatti, a contemporary of the first Sikh master and a devout Muslim, who had become his disciple.
Today, Nankana Sahib Estate consists of about 16,962 acres, mainly leased to farmers and residents of Nankana Sahib. Almost all houses there are built on the property donated by the Bhatti family.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had also allotted 2,000 acres in the name of Guru Nanak at his birth place.
The ancient revenue records that the entire land of Nankana Sahib given to Guru Nanak by Bhatti measures 757 murabas (approx 18,750 acres) and is now controlled by the Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan (ETPB) and is leased out to the residents of Nankana Sahib.
According to Manmohan Singh, leader of the Sikh-Muslim Federation, the ETPB had directed the farmers to vacate their land shortly so that construction work of the proposed university could be started.
Manmohan Singh said that Lt Gen (retd) Zulfikar Ali Khan, chairman of ETPB, was keen to fulfill the demand of the Sikhs by setting up Guru Nanak International University. Apart from other academic works, the proposed university would have a comparative study centre on Sikhism, other religions and various languages of both sides of Punjab.
The Pakistan authorities have already got possession of 300 acres at Nankana Sahib for setting up the university while the rest of land would be acquired in due course of time.
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