In view of the forthcoming 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, a Sikh Jatha from India will visit ‘Janam Asthan Gurdwara Nankana Sahib‘ in Pakistan from November 27 to December 1.
Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “This issue (opening of Kartarpur Corridor) has been discussed with the Ministry of Home Affairs. It has been decided that Sikh Jatha from India will visit Janamsthan Gurdwara Shri Nankana Sahib from November 27 to December 1 on the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji.”
The MEA spokesperson also informed that Sikh devotees’ visit to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib will be as per 1974 bilateral protocol to religious shrines between India and Pakistan.
However, he underlined that in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, all health-related protocols will be strictly followed and the size of Sikh Jatha visiting Gurdwara Nankana Sahib may be reduced.
Each year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India and different parts of the world gather at the Gurdwara Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak, in Pakistan’s Punjab province. This year, the 551st birth anniversary of the Guru will be marked on November 30.
Earlier, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla had disclosed in a tweet that the Government of India has decided to reopen Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from November 27, 2020. Later, he posted a video clarifying that Indian Jatha of devotees will visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib after crossing Wagha border to enter Pakistan. He also claimed that the Indian Government was keen on opening the Kartarpur Sahib corridor but Pakistan is not cooperating. In a video, he said that Indian Government was making efforts to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib corridor but Pakistan Government is not agreeing to it.
