Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister Sardar Parkash Singh Badal today hailed the initiative of the NDA Government to build and develop a modern and state-of-the-art corridor to facilitate pilgrims to pay obeisance at the holy Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan – where Guru Nanak Dev ji spent 18 years.
“This is indeed a befitting tribute to the great Guru Nanak Dev ji’s cosmic vision transcending all kinds of barriers among human beings of different castes, creeds and countries,” said Badal in a statement here.
Badal said that the NDA government’s formal request to its Pakistani counterpart should decisively remove all hurdles in the path of fulfilling the long-cherished dream and the daily prayers of every Sikh to pay obeisance at the historic Gurdham at Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
Badal especially thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the FM Arun Jaitley for honouring the sentiments and wishes of the Sikh masses all over the world. “This is their historic and unprecedented tribute to the Sikh sentiments contained in our daily Ardas seeking unrestricted “Darshan Deedar and Seva Sambhal of all historic shrines from which the Sikh community was weaned away following the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947,” said Badal.
Badal also appealed to the Government of Pakistan to reciprocate the Indian Government’s great initiative and to respect the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat all across the world in this regard by immediately announcing the opening of the border to activise the corridor announced by the Indian government .
Badal recalled that it was in 1999 , when he accompanied the late Prime Minister Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, that the then Prime Minister (Mr Vajpayee) had acceded to SAD-BJP government’s request to start the process of fulfilling the daily Sikh prayer (Ardas) for Khullle Darshan Didar of Gurdhams (the historic shrines) all over the world. The late Prime Minister had taken up the issue with his counterpart in Pakistan then but there had been no response from across the border so far. “I hope that the Pak government fully respects and joins in the atmosphere of devotion and religious fervor in this year of the 550thParkash Utsav of the great Guru and opens the border for unrestricted and hassle pilgrimage to the historic shrine at Kartarpur Sahib.
Badal also thanked the Government of India for the decision of the Indian Railways to run a special train which will pass through all holy places linked with Guru Nanak Dev ji and to release commemorative coins and postage stamps on the sacred occasion of Parkash Utsav.
Earlier today, the Union Cabinet had approved building and development of Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to International Border. Kartarpur corridor project with all modern amenities and facilities to be implemented with Central Government funding, the UnionHome Minister Rajnath Singh had announced this afternoon.