Corridor Point becomes Darshan Sthal

In the year 2001 when Sikhs  intensified their movement seeking corridor to Kartarpur sahib, SGPC the apex Sikh body  (under the influence of Govt) instead of advancing moral and strategical support to the movement  hurriedly passed a resolution that 'telescopes be installed on border to view'. This move of the SGPC was condemned by one   and all and thus under pressure from Sikh masses the SGPC there after repeatedly passed resolutions demanding Kartarpur Corridor.

(One Km. from town of Dera Baba Nanak is a point on Indo-Pak border from where Kartarpur sahib is about 3 km but clearly visible and people have been calling this junction spot  the Corridor Point and a road has been constructed from town to this Point which is popularly known as Corridor Road or Langha Sadak)

Keeping in view of everlasting and ever increasing beeline of aspirants of Corridor who silently come and pay obesience to their founder's shrine the Govt has come up with a novel idea after 7 years. They get a clue from erstwhile resolution of the SGPC and the Govt has since decided to develop this spot into some kind of tourist spot. They want to give the impression that this is the destination of the devotees the corridor aspirants.

As if the Govt of India was bankrupt the local unit of  Border Security Force motivated Dera Baba Nanak's Bedi family the custodians of Chola sahib the pious garment worn by Guru Nanak to invest some Rs. 20 lakh to develop this spot. Accordingly constructions have been carried out under the supervision of BSF and has got constructed an impressive platform to facilitate viewing of Kartarpur.

In this incidence the cunning approach of the Brahmin is quite evident. They used the Sikh money to please the Sikhs. In Punjabi there is a proverb 'sadian juttian te sada hi sir'. The Govt which spends thousands of crores on Hindu festivals like the kumbh melas and hundreds of crores on Hajj pilgrimage every year is not ready to spend  even a negligible amount on Sikhs. This is policy of the Centre to spend bare minimum in Punjab. The per capita tax collection average of India is highest from Punjab and notwithstanding it is not ready to spend a single paise which it can otherwise avoid.

This reminds me of its approach on pseudo-Khalistanis also. As I have written earlier on many occasions that the Pseudos are always active to suppress the real Sikh expression and interestingly the funds spent on Pseudos are again collected from the Sikhs : those gullible foreigner Sikhs who are scattered all over world and are not closely knit with the mainstream Sikhs. Every year hundreds of crores of Ruppees are gathered from this quarter which is used to thwart Sikh movements. The revenue source of Akali Dal Mann, the Dal Khalsa and the Mohali paper Spokesman are a few of some of the examples.

Accordingly in developing the junction point the Govt has made it a final destination and the named as Darshan Sthal. Sthal is a Hindi word which means place. We Punjabis use the word Asthan, like Rajasthan, Afganisthan. The Govt who is running programmes to denigrate Punjabi language has not failed on this point as well to pursue its dubious policies. No body in Punjab understands 'sathal'.

On May 4, 2008, the 'Sthal' was inaugurated which otherwise created a very emotional scene. Please see the news that appeared in Ajit daily:-

www.kartarpur.com\C.Point\Ajit 5_5_2008.htm

The head priest of Durbar Sahib Kartarpur arrived with 'prasad' the holy blessing from Darbar Sahib. He addressed the press from accross the barbed wire in the presence of Pakistan Rangers. On this side were the builders of Sthal while the function was a restricted on and only selected people were allowed to be present at Corridor Point.

Here are some relevant photos of Corridor Point

How Kartarpur sahib appears from Corridor Point
(with my ordinary camera)