Amritsar (Punjab) [India], November 17 (ANI): A jatha of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will cross over to Pakistan to pay obeisance to the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib and other Gurudwaras through the Kartarpur corridor that reopened today.
“We are going on a nine-day trip. We will be visiting Kartar Pur Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Dera Sacha Sauda, Dera sahib,” said Gruvinder Singh, a pilgrim.
“We are very happy. We are very grateful to the government for opening the Gurudwara,” said another pilgrim.
Meanwhile, the locals of Dera Baba Nanak of Punjab’s Gurdaspur welcomed the government’s move to reopen the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrimage. “It is a welcome step. People have been eagerly waiting to offer prayers at the shrine (Gurdwara Darbar Sahib),” Triclochan Singh, a local resident of Dera Baba Nanak told ANI.
“Due to COVID -19, it was closed. We wholeheartedly welcome the decision of the government. The whole Punjab and India are extremely happy after its opening,” said Ashwini Kumar, a local resident. “We were very hopeful that the Modi government would soon open the corridor. We are grateful to the Prime Minister for taking this step, ” said Sudhir Bedi, a local resident.
Meanwhile, the Land Ports Authority of India welcomed the move to reopen the corridor. “First two pilgrims given a warm send-off at ICP gate by the Manager ICP. The pilgrimage to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib through Kartarpur Corridor formally commences today. Gurudwara Prabandhak Samiti welcomed them across the border,” tweeted the Land Ports Authority of India on Wednesday.
The corridor was shut in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The visa-free 4.7-kilometre long corridor joins the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019. Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of Punjab recently met PM Modi and requested the reopening of the corridor.
Kartarpur Sangharsh Committee expresses gratitude to PM Modi, Amit Shah for re-opening of Kartarpur corridor
A delegation of Sri Kartarpur Langha Sangharsh Committee from Punjab‘s Amritsar on Wednesday expressed its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for taking a great decision of re-opening of Kartarpur corridor, informed the Ministry of Minority Affairs. “The delegation submitted a memorandum thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for taking the great decision of re-opening of Kartarpur corridor,” the statement said.
Further, the delegation also met the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Iqbal Singh Lalpura in New Delhi, it added. In a major decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government decided to re-opened the Kartarpur corridor from today which was shut in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier today, a jatha of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) departed for Pakistan to pay obeisance at the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib and other Gurudwaras through the Kartarpur corridor. The visa-free 4.7-kilometre long corridor joins the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019.
Imran Khan govt hails Navjot Singh Sidhu’s role in opening of Kartarpur corridor
Imran Khan government has praised cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu for his role in the opening of the corridor to Sikh pilgrimage site Kartarpur Sahib between the two countries.
A reference to the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President’s name was made on the kartarpurcorridor.com website which said that idea of the corridor was shared by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan with Sidhu.
The relationship between Imran Khan and Sidhu came to the limelight in 2018 when the latter attended the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan PM.
“The idea was shared with the Indian legend Sikh cricketer Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu who attended the ‘Swearing In’ ceremony of Prime Minister of Pakistan. On 28 November 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the Ground Breaking Ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor,” the kartarpurcorridor.com website page read.
Interestingly, Pakistan is highlighting Sidhu’s role in the Kartarpur corridor issue at a time when the Indian government has decided to reopen the Corridor. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday had said that the Kartarpur corridor will reopen from today.
Shah took to Twitter and said, “In a major decision, that will benefit large numbers of Sikh pilgrims, PM Narendra Modi government has decided to re-open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from tomorrow, November 17. This decision reflects the immense reverence of the Modi government towards Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and our Sikh community.” The corridor was shut in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The visa-free 4.7-kilometre long corridor joins the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019. Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of Punjab recently met PM Modi and requested the reopening of the corridor. (ANI)
