Sikh leaders targeted after successful Pak mission

The mood was optimistic as just a day before, the Pakistan government had agreed in principle for most of these demands. They returned the same day on hearing the news of the massacre. The scenario had changed drastically overnight — that of new animosity between the Sikhs and the Muslims. The Home Ministry now has conveyed a message to them that the routine jatha that goes every month should not go this month as a form of protest.

In spite the victory, they were accused of being traitors and joining hands with the enemy. The most vociferous was Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. “I support Badal’s view as the situation is very bad there. Going there right now would mean that we are ignoring the anger that is in the Sikhs against the assassins. This is not the right time for the jatha to go,” said Madan Lal Khurana, BJP MP.

The trip was significant because Pakistan has the important gurudwara — the Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Singh. There are other 135 important gurudwaras in Pakistan which are allegedly not in the best of conditions.

It is not surprising that after Partition, the Sikhs incorporated a line in their ardaas which said “We be allowed to enter freely inside these gurudwaras and be allowed to do our kar seva without fear.” But in complete violation to this wish, the last two years, the Pakistan government had set up their own prabandak committee headed by a Muslim and even limited the number of jathas which used to go there every month from India. The upkeep of the gurudwaras was no longer in the hands of the Sikhs as it used to be.

Since the control of the gurudwaras had been taken away completely from them, the group had hoped to mend things a little by asking the Pakistan government to allow a Sikh head the management committee in Pakistan. They also said that nominees from Delhi, Punjab, England, US and Canada be on the prabandak committee. Since the gurudwaras were in decrepit condition and no manpower to set them right, they demanded that they be allowed to send babas from Amritsar for kar seva who could guide and assist them.

The Pakistan government agreed to all of this.

They even let people to sing kirtan and ragas to come to Pakistan on a six-month-long visa. One demand which they did not agree to was that the land adjoining these gurudwaras be auctioned off for the upkeep of the gurudwara. They said it has to be discussed at the highest level.

“It was a major victory for us. People are criticising us because they do not want us to take credit of this,” said Sarna. The issue has now been politicised with the Badal faction accusing Sarna’s group of getting closer to Gurcharan Singh Tohra. “Everything is politicised these days. But I also feel that the jatha should not go this time,” said Khurana who met the group a few days back.