KARTARPUR

Some Sikhs of UK had liaison with the Pakistan Govt requesting it to open Kartarpur sahib so that Sikhs can pay their obeisance there after the Govt of India has been allowing similar visits by Pakistanis to the shrine of Sheikh Braham at Khemkaran.
In Nov. 2000 when a Sikh Jatha the party visited Pakistan in connection with the celebrations of Guru Nanak's birthday the Gen. Javed Nasar then head of Pakistan Gurudwara Management Committee while addressing the Sikhs at Lahore informed the party that the Pakistan Govt was willing to offer a corridor to Gurdwara Kartarpur.
On their return some of the members of the party issued press statements about the development. Harpal Singh Bhullar of Ferozepur of Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Society also issued a detailed press statement.
B.S.Goraya a humble writer and Editor of magazine Punjab Monitor who incidentally hails from a village near Kartarpur [On this side of the border] when did not see any further development, in the shape of some welcome statement by any Sikh leader, till the end of Feb. 28,2000 feared that the Sikhs were likely to miss a golden opportunity. He approached the leaders of various Sikh parties and emphasising the need for some immediate reaction to Pakistani offer.
Finally Advocate Jaswinder Singh member SGPC of Akal Purakh ki Fauz of Amritsar agreed to March to Kartarpur crossing the border on Vaisakhi i.e April 13, 2001. Poster appeared in the area around Dera Baba Nanak about the intention of the Fauz.
Later it was felt that some highly seasoned leader was required to lead this campaign and accordingly Jathedar Kuldip Singh Wadala of Jalandhar was approached to spearhead this sensitive movement. Wadala who hails from the family of erstwhile Akalis who lead the movement of freeing the Gurdwaras in the 1920s from the control of mahants agreed to lead on 30-3-00 and also announced his intention of leading Sikhs to Kartarpur in a very peaceful manner if the Government of India agreed. He also fixed the date of march as Vaisakhi the April 13, 2000.

On Vaisakhi the April 13, 2001 Dera Baba Nanak otherwise a sleepy border town experienced an unprecedented Vaisakhi when crowds of Sikhs from far and wide reached the town. It is estimated about 10 to 15000 Sikhs reached Dera to pay their obeisance and have a glimpse of the shrine departed 54 years ago. Both the Parties namely Wadala's recently formed Kartarpur [Ravi] Darshan Abhilakhi Sanstha and Jaswinder Singh's Akal Purakh ki Fauz separately marched towards the border and were prevented to move near the borderline. But the Govt of India did not allow the Sikhs to cross over to Pakistan. No reason where assigned. The Govt officials termed this demand as 'ridiculous'. Reaching border the two parties prayed that God bless the two countries with goodwill so that enmity between the two vanishes and that India too welcomed the corridor proposal.

So since April 2001, regularly the Sanstha is members reach at the border on the Amavas or Masia day and pray to God almighty for early opening of corridor. This effort of Jathedar Wadala has been launded by all Sikh circles except the Govt cronies. S. Wadala has also taken great pains to address the press on this and met the Governor of Punjab and the local SDM demanding the corridor.

Some members of the Sanstha felt that some more effort from other ends also needs to be done and accordingly they parted company from S, Wadala and formed another association under the name and style of Sangat Langha Kartarpur with headquarters at Amritsar. Since t hen the Sangat is also vigorously pursuing the cause by meeting various high dignitaries.

On Sept. 1, 2004, the Prime Minister of India S, Manmohan Singh announced in Amritsar that he would see that the corridor is allowed provided the ministry of defence and others have no objection to it. Some people credit the Sangat for this achievement. The efforts of local MLA S. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa s/o S. Santokh Randhawa are specially worthy of note in this direction.

The public relation campaign of the Sangat has been rather more vigorous. Its members have been able to garner support of Congress people as the Sangat is not aligned to any particular party.

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