Chandigarh, September 22
Now Sikhs can go to Pakistan in October every year to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Ram Dass, thanks to efforts by the Delhi Shiromani Akali Dal and the former President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna.

The Pakistan Government has allowed for the first time since Partition a jatha of 200 Sikhs to celebrate the birth anniversary of the fourth Sikh Guru in Lahore from October 7 to 9. The DSGMC will send this jatha on October 6, Mr Sarna told The Tribune today.

Mr Sarna, who returned early this morning from Pakistan, said the historic gurdwara building in Lahore where Guru Ram Dass was born had been renovated. After a long spell of 59 years, Gurpurb would be celebrated there for the first time with traditional fervour and gaiety.

He said the four-lane road from Lahore to Nankana Sahib, whose foundation stone was laid jointly by the Chief Ministers of the two Punjabs, was complete. Only construction work on two bridges remained to be completed.

Talking about the poor response to the bus service as only four to eight passengers travelled in the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus introduced in March, he said the DSGMC would soon open its sub-offices in Amritsar and Ludhiana and manage visas for the pilgrims.

He was hopeful that devotees would be able to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan from Dera Baba Nanak without a passport in the near future. Had the previous NDA government taken some interest, this would have been allowed a long time ago, he added.

The DSGMC President, Mr Harvinder Singh Sarna, said the DSGMC was committed to protecting Sikh tenets, principles and traditions. An anand karaj ceremony held at Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara Hall in Delhi on September 10 was held in violation of the maryada. Owning moral responsibility, the Chairman of the Dharam Parchar Committee, Mr Tarsem Singh, had tendered his resignation. The Akal Takht Jathedar had sought a clarification from him by September 30.

The DSGMC officials maintained that they held Akal Takht in the highest esteem and abided by its directive on anand karaj.