ATTARI, Nov 6 — Pandemonium and chaos prevailed at the railway station here as agitating men from Sarna and Mann groups resorted to sloganeering and held a dharna in protest against the non-clearance of their group by the immigration and customs authorities. The police and securitymen were deployed in strength equipped with tear gas at the railway station as tension prevailed in view of the Mann group’s threat to sit on dharna on the railway line preventing them from going to Pakistan till the entire group was cleared.

The former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief, Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, in a statement issued here said the denial of clearance to their group was done at the behest of Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC chief, and the Punjab Government. He charged the government with not making proper arrangements for the travel to Lahore to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Devji. He alleged the state government had hatched a conspiracy to debar the Sikhs from paying obeisance at their holy shrines in Pakistan.

A large and enthusiastic group of 3,200 Sikh devotees sponsored by more than half a dozen Sikh organisations with the exception of the SGPC, which had refused to send jathas after the Pakistan Government set up its own Pakistan Gurdwara Management Committee headed by the former ISI chief, were there.

Interestingly, the non-SGPC groups have secured visas for more than 3200 persons from the Pakistan Embassy but the railway authorities of India and Pakistan have failed to arrange a special train for the Sikh devotees, resulting in the present tense situation.

The immigration and Customs authorities here had earlier cleared the names of more than 500 Sikh pilgrims along with the regular passengers for Pakistan but the Sarna group had alleged that none of their 600 members were given permission, which the group leader claimed was ‘deliberately’ done to embarrass them on the orders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the SGPC.

The spokesman for the SAD (Mann), Bhai Ram Singh, said that they would not allow the train to move till all their detained members were allowed to board the train. He alleged that the SGPC was behind the conspiracy.

Meanwhile, the bi-weekly regular Pakistan train arrived here at 4.55 p.m. at least four hours behind schedule, with just eight coaches, which could barely accommodate about 700 to 800 passengers, much to the surprise of railway officers as they were expecting a special train for 3200 Sikh pilgrims.

The jatha of about 500, sponsored by Sant Mangal Singh Satlani of Sant Samaj, was cleared by the Customs authorities and was moved to the departure lounge platform to board the train.

The prominent personalities, including the former Jathedar of Akal Takht, Prof Darshan Singh, while talking to TNS said that as a devout Sikh it was his right to visit the holy Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan and the SGPC should have no role in sending the jathas.

The Tohra group MLA, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, has welcomed the gesture of the Railways for providing free passage to Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan. He was critical of the SGPC for not sponsoring the Sikh jatha to Pakistan and added that the stand of the SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, was very stubborn.

The SGPC secretary, Mr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, has alleged in a statement that there was no screening of pilgrims. A number of undesirable persons have gone with the jatha, he alleged. He also condemned the move of the Railways for providing free passage. He pointed out that leaders rejected by the Panth were sponsoring the jathas and were making anti-SGPC statements.

A number of Sikh organisations have organised langar at the platform for the pilgrims.

A number of NRI Sikh family groups have voiced their concern over arrangements at the railway station. A number of women and children were seen returning. A few women told the correspondents how could eight bogies with capacity for 800 persons accommodate more than 1500 pilgrims. They returned because they thought the journey would be asphyxiating.

The train carrying 1,100 pilgrims, according to the immigration authorities, left the station three hours behind the schedule.