Missives to Modi; India Bars Sikh Pilgrims Visit to Pakistan

Panjab’s senior Indian National Congress (INC) leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has written to Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi to declare Amritsar as a 'war free zone.' The request comes in the wake of the recent escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan in which each country misinformed that the other country had Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) on their target. Randhawa said, Amritsar is 'not merely a geographical location—it is the spiritual heartbeat of the Sikh faith and a lighthouse of love and peace for humanity.' INC Member of Parliament from Patiala Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi and the North American Punjabi Association have also written to Modi to re-open the Kartarpur Corridor closed on 7 May. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Panjab general secretary Jagmohan Singh Raju has written to Modi, urging him to release Bandi Singh (Sikh political prisoners) on humanitarian grounds. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami has also appealed to the union government to release the Bandi Singhs on the occasion of the upcoming 350^th martyrdom day of the ninth Sikh sovereign Guru Tegh Bahadur. Meanwhile, the Indian govt has barred Sikh pilgrims from traveling to Pakistan to participate in the annual martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh sovereign. Pakistan indicated it was willing to grant visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims, but India refused to allow them to visit the country. Upon the restriction, Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee organized a symbolic reception at Lahore on 15 Jun to express solidarity with the Sikh community and promote interfaith harmony. In other news, to ensure transparency and proper record-keeping of Guru Granth Sahib, the SGPC has introduced a modern printing system in which every saroop (tome) will have a Sewa Pehchan Ank (service identification number) printed on it. Dhami said, 'this will help in maintaining accurate records thus enabling traceability, accountability and safeguarding the sanctity of every printed scripture of Sri Guru Granth Sahib' (earlier coverage).