E-Paper
Punjab farmers stuck in Nanded worried over fate of wheat crop
Were on a pilgrimage to Takht Hazur Sahib but got stuck there after nationwide lockdown
As most of Punjab pilgrims who are stuck at Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded, in Maharashtra due to lockdown are farmers, they are deeply worried over the fate of their wheat crop which is ready for harvesting.
With all the passenger trains and flights remaining suspended amid nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, around 2,500 pilgrims are not able to return, despite several attempts made by the management board of the Takht Hazur Sahib, one of the five Sikh temporal seats.
Talking to HT over phone from Nanded, Kulwant Singh, 66, of Awan village of Amritsar district, said that he has sown wheat crop over 10 acres. “My entire family of 10 members came here on pilgrimage by train on March 17, but could not return due to cancellation of all trains. Now, we are worried about the crop,” he said.
He added that 10 more farmer families of nearby Pasian village were accompanying them on the pilgrimage.
Rajwinder, a farmer from Ramdas village of Amritsar, said, “Harvesting has started in Punjab, but we are helpless and stranded here. We fear our crop would be ruined if we don’t return to our village in time. The government must make arrangements to ensure our timely return.” He has also grown up wheat on 10 acres.
Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh Minhas, president of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Management Board, said, “We are making efforts on our end to send all pilgrims back to their homes, but getting no response from the governments. We sent some of the pilgrims by road on private vehicles, but the governments of Madhya Pardesh and Rajasthan did not allow them to pass through their states and they had to return to the gurdwara”.
On March 25, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh had written to Union home minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to help evacuate devotees who are stranded at the historic Gurdwara.
Gurdaspur BJP MP Sunny Deol and Congress MP from Khadoor Sahib Jasbir Singh Dimpa had also written letters to Thackeray and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, respectively, seeking help for the pilgrims’ return.
