Sikh organisations and the Akal Takht on Thursday welcomed the central government’s decision to allow the Sikh jatha (group) to visit Nankana Sahib and other historic shrines in Pakistan on the occasion of the Parkash Purb (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak.
Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said the September 12 decision of the government regarding not sending the jatha this year had hurt Sikh sentiments. Sikhs and devotees of Guru Nanak across the world celebrate his Parkash Gurpurb every year and every Sikh longs to visit the sacred birthplace of the Guru in Nankana Sahib, he said.
“Sikh jathas must continue to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan regularly as this helps strengthen communal harmony and improve relations between the two nations. The peace and stability in the region require good relations between India and Pakistan. Both countries should also open trade routes for each other,” he said while hailing the efforts of the SGPC, DSGMC and various Sikh personalities who pursued correspondence with the government for a green signal for Pakistan visit of jathas.
The jathedar also urged the central government to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor that has been closed since India launched Operation Sindoor, a military response in retaliation to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami also appealed to the government to open the Kartarpur Corridor.
{{/usCountry}}The jathedar also urged the central government to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor that has been closed since India launched Operation Sindoor, a military response in retaliation to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami also appealed to the government to open the Kartarpur Corridor.
{{/usCountry}}Harmeet Singh Kalka, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), also hailed the central government for allowing the jatha to Pakistan.
All India Congress Committee’s secretary and MLA Pargat Singh said, “This decision reaffirms that politics cannot confine faith. The central government has finally listened to the voice of Sikh tradition and collective devotion. It proves that Sikh sentiments cannot be sidelined. This is about the dignity of our traditions and the right of every Sikh to bow their head at sacred shrines.”
He further said that if cricket matches could be played between India and Pakistan even amidst political tensions, then denying Sikh jathas the right to pay obeisance at Nankana Sahib or other shrines was indefensible.