Sikh jatha leaves for Pakistan today, visa denial leaves many in tears

Amritsar, November 24

A day ahead of sending jatha to Pakistan to commemorate Gurpurb of Guru Nanak Dev at Sri Nankana Sahib, the SGPC handed over passports to pilgrims today, with fortunate ones getting visa while others being left dejected for its denial.

Deeply hurt

I had got my passport made just to visit the Sikh shrines across the border. I had first applied for visa to visit Pakistan on the occasion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s birth anniversary but it was denied. Now, again, we are deeply hurt that none of our group members could get visa on Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary. Surjeet Kaur, A Devotee

The Sikh jatha is scheduled to cross over to Pakistan on November 25 to celebrate the occasion that falls on November 27.

SGPC secretary Partap Singh resented that nearly 45 per cent of the visas recommended by the SGPC were rejected by the Pakistani authorities this time. “As many as 788 of 1,684 visa applications were rejected,” the secretary said.

He said the jatha would leave from the SGPC headquarters here at 8 am. “Those who could not collect their visa documents and passports should get these from the office early in the morning tomorrow,” he said.

Surjit Kaur from Mansa, who had come along with a group of six, could not control her tears after getting to know that her visa was rejected by the Pakistan authorities. Appealing both Indian and Pakistan governments to keep the religious sentiments out of their political differences, she said it was for the second time that she was denied visa.

“I had got my passport made just to visit the Sikh shrines across the border. First time, I had applied to visit Pakistan on the occasion of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh birth anniversary which was rejected. Now, again, we are deeply hurt that none of our group members could get visa on Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary,” she said.

Another aspirant Manjit Kaur said she always wished to visit Sri Nankana Sahib but her wish could not be fulfilled till date as her visa was rejected repeatedly without citing any reasons.

Meanwhile, Balkar Singh from Kharar was happy to get visa. “I am visiting Pakistan for the first time to visit Sri Nankana Sahib and other Sikh shrines”.

Kulwant Kaur, who too got visa, said she was lucky to have visa but appeal the governments to be liberal in granting visas. “We were eight in a group who had applied for visas but unfortunately six would have to return dejected for want of visas,” she said.