Demise of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh

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Bakhtar News, Kabul, Afghanistan - 8th January 2013

Madanjeet SinghKabul (BNA) With profound sorrow, we received the demise news of UNESCO-Goodwill Ambassador and founder of South Asia foundation (SAF) H.E Madanjeet Singh.

He passed away in Beautieu-Sur-Mer, France following a stroke on Sunday.
His death is a big loss for world in particular to South Asia countries.
He contributed a lot in promoting the regional cooperation and peace through education and culture interaction among the South Asia Countries.

Establishing Institutes of excellences in SAARC related countries, providing full paid scholarships to South Asian Youths, establishing the SAF-Afghanistan chapter, renewal and inauguration of Cultural Heritage preservation Center in Kabul are the examples of his selfless and extraordinary efforts and commitments for peace regional cooperation.

Hon’ Mr. Madanjeet Singh was born on April 1924 in Lahore, present-day Pakistan.
India’s partition obliged him to migrate to Delhi where he volunteered to work in a refugee camp while preparing at the same time for the post-graduate exams (Technical-Chemistry) in Delhi Polytechnic.
He was an outstanding artist and internationally known author of several books.
Madanjeet Singh founded South Asia Foundation (SAF) in 2000, as he ardently believed that the survival and future of South Asia depends entirely on regional cooperation.

His devotion to this cause is manifested by the fact that he has committed to SAF his considerable wealth generated by the sale of stocks of Art Technology Group (ATG) and an American software company created by his son Jeet Singh, a trustee of South Asia Foundation.
The history and culture of Afghanistan are profoundly interwoven with South Asia.

When the Taliban regime destroyed the colossal fifth-century Bamiyan Buddha and other priceless works of Afghanistan art, the South Asia Foundation pledged for Safeguarding Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage.
A meeting was held in Paris on 16th June 2003, in which Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen Afghanistan’s Minister of Information and Culture was attended.

On his return to Kabul, he conveyed the decision to President Hamid Karzai for Afghanistan to accept membership of the SAF.
On an invitation by Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, Minister of Information and Culture of Transitional government of Afghanistan on October 2003, Hon Madanjeet Singh and his wife Madam France visited Kabul.
They met H.E Hamid Karzai and accepted Afghanistan to be a member of SAF and H.E President Hamid Karzai nominated Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen as the Chairman of SAF-Afghanistan Chapter.They agreed on establishing a cultural heritage preservation training institute in the name of Madanjeet Singh Cultural Heritage Preservation Training Institute of Afghanistan in Kabul to be used for the training of specialists in South Asian Heritages which would be funded by Hon Madanjeet Singh.
Since that, SAF-Afghanistan in coordination with ministry of information and culture organizes different phases of cultural heritage preservation training courses at UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh institute for preservation of Afghanistan cultural heritages.
SAF-Afghanistan also introduces scholars for Madanjeet Singh group of scholarships every year after taking some English proficiency test from its scholarships candidates.

SAF-Afghanistan and Ministry of information and culture of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan express their heartiest and deepest condolence to Madam France, Her family and to all SAF family, we pray for god to give us strength to continue the path which he has pursued and fulfill all his dreams.

SAF-Afghanistan Chapter.

Bakhtar Newspaper