A controversy pertaining to date of observing the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev has halted the progress of nearly 400 Sikh pilgrims aspiring to undertake pilgrimage to gurdwaras in Pakistan. The pilgrims were left stranded at Attari Railway station in the absence of permission from Centre to allow a special train from neighbouring to cross over to India and take the pilgrims to Pakistan. A flurry of activity was witnessed throughout the day with those leading the Jathas (groups of pilgrims) taking up the issue with railway officials and Ministry of External Affairs,but to no avail. While the Railways and MEA refused to get involved in the impasse,Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar took the opportunity to fire salvos at each other. The blame game has its roots in the controversy pertaining to martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev. While SGPC has already observed it on May 25 as per the amended Nanakshahi calendar,approved by the Akal Takht,the DSGMC is following 2003 calendar to observe the martyrdom day on June 16. 500 pilgrims were learnt to have been given visas to visit various Sikh religious places in Pakistan from June 8 to June 17 for observing the Sikh Gurus martyrdom day. The jathas that were to cross over to Pakistan today were represented by DSGMC,Khalra Mission Committee and International Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Darbar Society. A 10-coach train from Pakistan is said to have waited throughout the day waiting for approval to cross over to India. It is the SGPC,which is responsible for stopping the pilgrims from going to Pakistan. I have checked up with MEA and Ministry of Home Affairs. There is no problem from their side, Sarna alleged. By doing this SGPC is trying to force the revised Nanakshahi calendar on pilgrims, he added. Makkar,however,hit back saying,SGPC has no say in the matter. In fact,this is a very embarrassing situation for Sarna,who falls at the feet of Sonia Gandhi and Congress. It is the Congress led UPA government that did not allow the train to take the pilgrims to Pakistan, Makkar said. He accused Sarna of bypassing the Akal Takht by not adhering to the amended Nanakshahi calendar. ' As per Railways Divisional Manager N C Goyal,it was MEA that was supposed to intimate Railways about the pilgrims visit to Pakistan on a special train. We cannot allow any special train to carry passengers from India until we have permission from MEA, Goyal said. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur,with whom Sarna took up the issue during the day,said,The issue relates to Pakistani desk which is under Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. I would get the matter looked into further. It was learnt that MEA had mulled over giving permission to allow the pilgrims to cross over to Pakistan on foot via Attari land border,but by the time it could materialise,it was too late given the time constraints for immigration and customs clearances. We are being told that MEA has given its permission to allow us to cross over to Pakistan on foot on Saturday, said Khalsa Mission Committee general secretary Balwinder Singh Chabbal. The irate pilgrims also resorted to sloganeering at the Attari railway station.
