DSGMC slams Pak’s 3-day ban on non-Sikh entry to Kartarpur

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has slammed Pakistan’s decision to deny entry to non-Sikh visitors to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has slammed Pakistan’s decision to deny entry to non-Sikh visitors to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan, for three days in January.

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Thousands of Indian pilgrims of all faiths, primarily Sikhs and Hindus, visit Kartarpur, just across the border in Pakistan, to pay obeisance at gurdwara which marks the final resting of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak.

It was earlier reported that Pakistan has decided not to allow the entry of non-Sikhs to the shrine, from January 3 to January 5, during the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh who is the tenth and last of the Sikh Gurus.

Terming the decision as discriminatory and clashing with the basic tenets of Sikhism, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, president of DSGMC, said: “According to Sikh religion, the doors of gurdwaras are open to every human being irrespective of religion, class, caste, gender etc., and closing doors of gurdwara, a Sikh religious place to non sikhs violates the Sikh religion’s principle of equality of all human beings before almighty God.”

Sirsa also said that the decision goes against the MoU signed between India and Pakistan on the Kartarpur Corridor by which entry is assured to persons to the holy shrine without any discrimination.

He asked the Pakistani authorities to honour the agreement clause without any other considerations .

Sirsa countered the Pakistan government’s logic that the decision was taken because the place has limited facilities for pilgrims it was decided to hold exclusive event for Sikhs of Pakistan and India.