Faith over fear: 80-member Pak Sikh jatha reaches India

An 80-member Sikh jatha (religious group) reached India from Pakistan to pay obeisance at various shrines, here on Monday. After crossing the Attari-Wagah land border, the group members, mostly from Peshawar, capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, were received by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

An 80-member Sikh jatha (religious group) reached India from Pakistan to pay obeisance at various shrines, here on Monday. After crossing the Attari-Wagah land border, the group members, mostly from Peshawar, capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, were received by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Pakistani jatha members in a bus after arriving at Attari on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo)

“There is no fear,” said Gian Singh, one of the pilgrims, when asked about the fears of war after India conducted operations across the Line of Control, the de facto border, in Kashmir. “Though we are hearing a lot on TV and in other media, people are at ease.”

Another pilgrim, Prem Singh, said, “People in both the nations want peace. Unrest is not good for any side. The governments must work towards peace.”

The jatha has a visa for two weeks. Apart from paying obeisance at Golden Temple, the jatha members will also pay a visit to Anandpur Sahib and Delhi.