SGPC opposes Pak's Jashn-e-Baharan fest on premises of Kartarpur shrine

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 17

The Pakistan Government’s proposed move to organise ‘Jashn-e-Baharan’ festival on the premises of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib has irked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

To give impetus to the pilgrimage at Kartapur Sahib, the Pakistan Government has taken various measures to motivate devotees from India to visit the shrine. In this direction, a family culture festival ‘Jashn-e-Baharan’, dedicated to arrival of spring was chalked out.

The programme was conceptualised by the Project Management Unit (PMU), an exclusive department created under the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for the management of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.

However, taking it as a violation of the ‘Sikh Rehat Maryada’ (code of conduct), the SGPC has expressed its objection in writing to Muhammad Latif, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PMU, Aftab Hasan Khan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India at New Delhi, besides approaching Ameer Singh, president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) to not organise a cultural programme in the shrine complex.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the event planned by the Pakistan Government at Sri Kartarpur Sahib was against ‘gurmat’ (teachings of Sikh Gurus). “This isn’t a way of promoting religious tourism and does not comply with Sikh norms. If this programme takes place, it will hit the concerns of ‘maryada’ and sentiments of Sikh community,” he said.

He said the events of dance, qawwalis, bhangra and singing have been scheduled to take place on the shrine premises. “We have asked the PSGPC president to apprise the Pakistan authorities about the serious lapse and immediately scrap the events,” he said.

The five-day ‘Jashn-e-Baharan’ festival is scheduled between March 23 and 27 at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Corridor, located in Narowal district in Pakistan. The festival would witness various cultural programmes in which Pakistan artistes would perform. A special food street and joy rides too have been arranged for the festival.

As per information, on March 23, Pakistan Day celebrations have been scheduled in which Pakistan national songs would be played. On March 24, Pakistan sufi singers will perform, followed by qawwali night the next day. Similarly, various festivities and dance performances have been scheduled for March 26 and 27.

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