Punjab Outlook

Amritsar – Punjab BJP spokesperson and Sikh thinker Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala strongly criticized the opposition parties for opposing the advisory issued by the Union Home Ministry, which had barred the Sikh Jatha from visiting Pakistan on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Purab, in view of the tense situation and security concerns prevailing between India and Pakistan. He appealed to the Sikh Panth and the people of Punjab to remain alert against the false narrative being spread against the BJP-led central government.
Targeting the President of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs (Pakistan), Ramesh Singh Arora, who had questioned India’s decision, Prof. Khiala said that before making baseless remarks against India, Arora should first show the courage to secure fundamental ‘rights’ for Sikhs and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Committee in his own country. He reminded that the Committee in Pakistan is nothing more than a puppet of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, which functions entirely under the control of the ISI.
Throwing a challenge to Arora, Prof. Khiala asked – “If you truly have sympathy for minorities, why are Hindu–Sikh minorities in Pakistan not allowed free access to their places of worship? Why, despite the annual revenue of the Evacuee Board exceeding Rs. 565 crore, are only 21 out of 517 historic gurdwaras, and just 14 out of 1130 Hindu temples, kept open? Isn’t this a direct violation of the 1950 Nehru–Liaqat Pact and the 1955 Pant–Mirza Agreement, both of which guaranteed religious freedom and the upkeep of religious sites for minorities?”
Prof. Khiala further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always held special respect for Sikhs and Punjabis. His government has consistently prioritized the safety of the Sikh community above any political gain. He clarified that while no major incident has yet occurred with Sikh Jathas in Pakistan, the threat of Islamist extremists who harbor hatred against minorities remains ever-present. In case of any untoward incident, India would certainly have grounds for strong international action against Pakistan, but the central government has consciously put the lives of Sikh pilgrims above any political consideration. Unfortunately, some opposition leaders are today indulging in petty politics in the name of Sikh faith and sentiments.
Attacking the Bhagwant Mann government, Prof. Khiala said that Mann has no real concern for Sikh religious sentiments. Instead of accounting for the Rs. 12,000 crore released by the Centre under the Disaster Relief Management Fund, Mann is diverting public attention by hiding behind religious issues. “Will Mann take responsibility for the safety of Sikh Jathas in Pakistan?” he asked.
Prof. Khiala reminded that after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April, in which 26 innocent Indian civilians were killed, India had severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Pakistan. Following that, both the Sikh Jatha pilgrimage and the Hindu pilgrimage to the Katas Raj Temple were suspended. In May, under ‘Operation Sindoor,’ India destroyed nine terrorist camps and airbases in Pakistan. “In such circumstances, was it at all possible to send Sikh Jathas across the border?” he asked.
Exposing the duplicity of the Akali leadership, Prof. Khiala said that as recently as June this year, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee itself had decided not to send Sikh Jathas to Pakistan for the death anniversary of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh, citing security concerns. At that time, the SGPC’s appointed “Jathedar,” Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargarj, had advised President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami to celebrate the occasion in Amritsar itself instead of sending Jathas to Pakistan, keeping in view the international situation. “How is it that the same Akalis are today trying to malign the Centre with baseless allegations in order to score cheap political points?” he questioned.
Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala made it clear that the Centre’s decision is proof that the safety of Sikh Sangat’s lives and property is the government’s foremost priority, and not, as the opposition alleges, any kind of bias. Concluding, Prof. Khiala said that the decision has been taken with complete seriousness, not for political motives but purely in the interest of safeguarding the Sikh community. He urged the Sikh Panth not to fall prey to the opposition’s false narrative, but instead to understand the truth and the ground realities.