New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of External Affairs today said that a Sikh jatha (religious group) from India will visit Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan from November 27 to December 1 on the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev.
While responding to a question whether Kartarpur corridor will be opened up for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said Indian Sikh pilgrims will only be allowed to visit Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.
“It has been decided that a Sikh Jatha from India will visit Janam Asthan Gurdwara Nankana Sahib from November 27 to December 1, 2020 on the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. This visit will be as per the 1974 bilateral Protocol on visit to Religious Shrines between India and Pakistan,” he said.
Srivastava further said that in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, all health-related Protocol will be strictly followed, and the size of the Jatha is, therefore, likely to be reduced.
However, the MEA spokesman didn’t elaborate on the opening of the Kartarpur corridor that is yet to be opened by the Central government. The corridor was closed on March 16 to contain the spread of Covid pandemic.
The government had also temporarily suspended the registration for Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage done through a dedicated website www.prakashpurb550.mha.gov.in.
The corridor was inaugurated on November 9, 2019, to facilitate Sikh pilgrims from India who wanted to visit the shrine located in Narowal district of Pakistan. The shrine is a few kilometres from the international border.
On October 2, Pakistan had unilaterally opened the corridor to Indian devotees but did not get a response from India.
However, many Sikhs have been asking the Pakistan government to issue liberal visas, despite the opening of the corridor.
Earlier this month, India had condemned the Pakistan government’s decision of transferring the management and maintenance of the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara to the administrative control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a non-Sikh body.
The MEA had also summoned the Pakistan High Commission Charge d’Affaires (CDA) and lodged a strong protest over the matter.
“It was also conveyed to him that this unilateral decision by Pakistan is highly condemnable and runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh community at large,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava had said.
-ARK
