New Delhi: 2019 marks the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, who is the founding father of Sikhism and who set a unique spiritual, social and political manifesto based on equality and morality, by the government with events athwart the globe, said the Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on Tuesday.

The outcome was made at a top-drawer meeting chaired by the Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "There will be special programmes in the country as well as in different parts of the world to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji," said Sharma.

2019 will be commemorated as the ‘universal brotherhood year’ in compliance with the message Guru Nanak wanted to spread on peace. The Indian Council for Cultural relations will also be holding major events across the globe through Indian missions.

Happenings like the centenary of Jalliwanwala Bagh massacre, the 2nd-century natal day of Satguru Ram Sigh and the birth anniversary of ‘Rajmata’ Vijaya Raje Scindia, will also be memorialized, decided The National Implementation Committee (NIC), which is headed by the home minister. He also mentioned, “All required funds will be provided by the central government.”

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal also attended the NIC meeting.

An International body of Punjabis, which constitutes representatives from various fields named The World Punjabi Organisation has been called upon to partner with the government to execute the year-long events.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has assembled three panels to inspect the arrangements in compliance with the celebration, from the expansion of infrastructure at holy places to overseeing the religious and cultural events. The minister has also written to PM Narendra Modi seeking approximately Rs 4 billion as part of financial assistance.