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SGPC, DSGMC leaders meet to plan Guru Nanak birth anniversary celebrations
Longowal said all Sikh organisations should be on board.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gobind Singh Longowal on Monday said that the SGPC is still to get an invite from the Punjab government for chalking out plans for the 550th Parkash Gurpurb (birth anniversary) celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.
Addressing the media after a meeting of the SGPC and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) at Teja Singh Samundari Hall here, Longowal said, “Such programmes should be organised under the aegis of an elected Sikh body like the SGPC.”
DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said religious congregations will be held on November 10 and 11. The celebrations will begin at Dera Baba Nanak near the border from where Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is barely 4 km away.
The leaders said that a laser show and fireworks display are planned on the occasion and similar celebrations should be organised in Kartarpur Sahib.
“We will urge the Centre to set up high-quality cameras and clear the area on the Indian side to enable devotees to see the shrine in Pakistan,” GK said.
Office-bearers of both committees visited Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district and did ardas (prayed) for opening the corridor to Kartarpur Sahib.
Asked about the SGPC and DSGMC efforts to collaborate with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (PSGPC) in organising the joint celebrations, GK said, “They had two conditions. The PSGPC wants us to follow the original Nanakshahi calendar. This condition is acceptable. But the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) of Pakistan wants Akal Takht to be shifted to Nankana Sahib, where Sikhism was founded. This is illogical and impossible.”
On access to Kartarpur Sahib, the leaders said they had taken up the issue with tje Centre and it had no objection. “The Centre’s consent is necessary for the corridor. Our party (Shiromani Akali Dal) is a part of the National Democratic Alliance. We will share our feedback.”
Sirsa said that external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has already written to Pakistan on this issue and is yet to get a response.
