No Sikh pilgrimage in Pakistan? |
The government of India has issued no public advisory against the pilgrimages; nor has Pakistan announced it is stopping them. Still, no jathas went this year for either the Arjan Dev anniversary on May 29, or the Ranjit Singh one on June 29. Only a small party of 14 Sikhs managed to cross over on June 8. SGPC said the MEA did not give permission to 521 pilgrims to travel to Pakistan for the Arjan Dev anniversary. For the Ranjit Singh anniversary, SGPC claimed the MEA had said it would have to bear the responsibility of the security of the jatha, which the SGPC did not want to commit to. Some 300 others who applied through the direct method did get visas, but were allegedly not allowed to board the train to Pakistan. So the 14 who managed to cross over were in a jatha organised by the Sukhmani Seva Society. They, and 68 pilgrims of another jatha, were to board the Samjhauta Express from Attari on June 8, but were allegedly not allowed to do so by Indian Railways officials. However, the group of 14 had visas that allowed them to also cross over on foot — which is the route they then took.
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