LAHORE: All Sikh pilgrims should be allowed to visit Gujranwala, the birthday place of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the occasion of his 169th death anniversary, Sharomini Gurdwara Perbhandak Committee (SGPC) Amritsar member Baldev Singh told Daily Times on Saturday.
Baldev said that all pilgrims were compelled to attend the death anniversary of Ranjit Singh at his Samadhi in Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore. He said that the Sabzi Mandi (vegetable market) of Gujranwala was the birthplace of Ranjit Singh and they wanted to visit the place.
Baldev also demanded that Ranjit Singh's birthplace should be handed over to SGPC for renovation. He said that the birthplaces of two of Ranjit Singh's generals, Hari Singh and Akali Bhola Singh, were also near Gujranwala and Sikhs should be allowed to visit those as well.
Baldev said that he belonged to Chawinda village (India) while Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif belonged Jati Umra, which was adjacent to Chawinda. He said that since Shahbaz was from Jati Umra, he should make two functional gurdwaras in Lahore like Kahna Kacha and Daftu. He said that he would talk to Shahbaz on the issue.
He said that the SGPC had purchased an ambulance for Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, which they had been unable to bring because the necessary paperwork had not been completed. He asked the authorities to resolve the issue soon.
When asked about the Gulab Singh issue, he said that Sikhs should not be discriminated against in any country because it was against the principles of all religions. He added that the Pakistani government should permit the SGPC to construct and renovate Ranjit Singh's Samadhi.
He said that since Pakistan faced an acute shortage of Granthis (one who recites Guru Granth, the Sikh holy book), the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Perbhandak Committee (PSGPC) should be authorised to send Granthis to India to train. He said that gurdwaras in Pakistan should be expanded to accommodate a large number of Sikh pilgrims who come every year.
Baldev said that Sikhs wanted to visit their sacred places in Pakistan every month and that they should be allowed to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib (Narowal) from the border. He also said that the Pakistani government was reluctant to resolve this issue. He said that the Pakistani government had been ignoring the demands of Sikhs about the lack of accommodation in gurdwaras.
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