Nanded (Maharashtra) Oct 30 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today said that national unity and integrity is under threat from "divisive" forces and terrorism, which needed to be combated collectively.

Addressing a function at Nanded while participating in Tri-centenary celebrations of Guru Granth Saheb, he said there are forces who want people to fight among themselves.

"There are forces of terror and there are forces who want people to fight with each other. We have to combat all such forces collectively and effectively and protect the unity and integrity of our nation," Dr. Singh added.

He cautioned the citizens to beware of those forces, which are working to de-stabilize the country and want to spread hatered among various sections of the society.

Appreciating Sikhs community''s contributions to the country, Dr. Singh said that Khalsa was formed to defend the country.

He also specifically asked the people to be conscious about gender inequality in the society and appealed to save the environment by quoting a couplet from Sikh scriptures.

Earlier, Dr. Singh offered prayers at Sachkhand Gurdwara. Amid chants of "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal", Dr. Singh offered a golden-coloured sword, saffron jacket and a chadar at the gurudwara where the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, had given the Granth Sahib to Nanded.

Dr. Singh was accompanied by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni and Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his Punjab counterpart Prakash Singh Badal were also present on the occasion.

The occasion is being marked to celebrate 300 years of declaration of Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, as the perpetual Guru in 1708 by Guru Gobind Singh, the
10th master of Sikhs.

A large number of Sikhs from America and Europe are also participating in the congregation.

It was in Nanded three hundred years ago, that Guru Gobind Singh designated the Adi Granth as Guru Granth Sahib, the perpetual Guru, ending the chain of human gurus.

It is here that the Sachkhand Hazur Sahib Gurdwara, one of the five temporal thrones or seats of authority (Takhats), is located.

This is also where Guru Gobind Singh meditated on the banks of the Godavari in his final days. (ANI)