Amritsar :
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Bibi Jagir Kaur said that along with opening the corridor of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, the governments of India and Pakistan should also discuss opening a corridor for Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, to openly allow the Sangat (community) to pay obeisance at the Sikh shrine.
Talking at the SGPC office, Bibi Jagir Kaur said that to reopen Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor which was closed due to COVID-19, the governments of both the nations should sit together and take a decision as the Covid restrictions are almost about to end.
“If the Covid restrictions can be relaxed from the educational institutions, markets as well as the public places, then Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor should also be opened. Sangat already visits Sri Kartarpur Sahib in a limited number and therefore, keeping the corridor closed is illogical”, said Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Bibi Jagir Kaur also demanded from the governments of India and Pakistan that, “Similar to Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, the Sangat should be allowed to openly pay obeisance at Sri Nankana Sahib as well. As done through Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, the Sangat can go to Sri Nankana Sahib in the morning and return by the evening after paying obeisance.”
The SGPC President said that although the governments will take a decision according to the circumstances, attention should be paid to this demand.
Bibi Jagir Kaur strongly condemned the alleged removal of Nishan Sahib from a Gurdwara Sahib by the Taliban in Afghanistan. She appealed to the Government of India to ensure the safety of Sikh shrines in Afghanistan and the Sikhs living there. She said that the repeated harassment of Sikhs in Afghanistan is injustice to minorities.
Meanwhile, the SGPC President called and congratulated some of the players of the Hockey India team and their family members who won the bronze medal in Tokyo.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said that the hockey team has brightened the name of the country and especially Punjab by winning, as the majority of the players in the team belong to Punjab. She said that the men’s hockey team as well as the women’s hockey team would be specially honoured by the SGPC.
Earlier, the sports department of the SGPC thanked Bibi Jagir Kaur for announcing prize money of Rs 1 crore for the entire Indian Hockey team.
On this occasion SGPC general secretary S. Bhagwant Singh Sialka, SGPC member S. Amarjit Singh Bhalaipur, S. Gurmail Singh Sangatpura, S. Amrik Singh Vichhoa, assistant secretary S. Tejinder Singh Padda, OSDs to SGPC president Dr Amrik Singh Latifpur and Dr Sukhbir Singh, superintendent Malkit Singh Beharwal, S. Gurmeet Singh Advisor, Coach S. Surjit Singh Leharka, and others were present.