Amritsar: Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, the officiating jathedar of the Akal Takht, has appealed to the governments of India and Pakistan to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor to Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, which has remained closed for nearly a year. The closure has deprived Sikh devotees of the opportunity to visit the sacred shrine associated with Guru Nanak Dev, the jathedar stated.
Respecting Sikh Sentiments
Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj urged both governments to respect Sikh sentiments and reopen the Kartarpur Corridor at the earliest so that devotees can once again pay obeisance at the Guru's abode. He emphasized that the entire Guru Khalsa Panth prays daily for unrestricted access to Sikh Gurdhams that were separated during the Partition of India in 1947. The jathedar expressed hope that the Sikh community's prayers regarding the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor would soon be fulfilled.
Sikh Pilgrim Jatha to Pakistan
While welcoming the Sikh pilgrims' jatha scheduled to leave for Pakistan on June 10 to pay obeisance at Sikh Gurdhams on the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev after a gap of 14 years, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj expressed gratitude to the governments of India and Pakistan for facilitating the visit. He noted that under the 1974 agreement between the two countries, four Sikh jathas travel annually to Pakistan for pilgrimage to Sikh Gurdhams. However, the last jatha to visit Pakistan on the martyrdom anniversary of the fifth Sikh Guru had travelled in June 2013.
"Since Guru Arjan Dev attained martyrdom in Lahore, it is essential for the entire Khalsa Panth to gather there every year on the Guru's martyrdom anniversary and pay homage through Gurmat programmes and religious congregations," said the Jathedar. He reiterated the importance of maintaining religious ties and ensuring that Sikh devotees can freely access their holy sites across the border.
