Nearly 10 Lakhs of Panjabis who lost their lives during 1947 India-Pakistan partition of the country were remembered today at Akal Takht Sahib the highest Sikh temporal seat . A special Ardas Samagam (prayer congregation) was organised in this regard at Akal Takht Sahib, in which, tributes were paid to lakhs of people who lost lives during the country’s partition.
Today the Bhog (concluding ceremony) of Sri Akhand Path Sahib was held and hazuri raagis jathas of Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib performed the Gurbani Kirtan.
On this occasion , Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh said that the Governments of India and Pakistan should pass condolence resolutions in their Parliaments for the lakhs of people who lost lives during country’s partition and suffered the pain of displacement.
“While celebrating 75th anniversary of independence, the Governments of both the countries should have remembered the people who suffered pain of displacement by voluntarily passing the condolence resolutions but the Governments did not treat it as important. The Governments should pass the condolence resolutions”, said Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.
Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib said that open visas should be granted with a big heart to those people who took birth before 1947 on either side so that they can easily visit their birthplace, ancestral places and religious shrines.
“This pain is still alive in the minds of Panjabis and while they want to see their birthplace, they also long to visit their holy shrines. As stopping Muslims from going to Haj, Hindus from visiting Sri Katas Raj Temples, is a crime, similarly, it is not just to stop Sikhs from visiting Sri Nankana Sahib and other Sikh shrines left in Pakistan. It is a matter that the governments of both the countries should discuss seriously and work to grant visas with open heart to people of every faith to visit their religious shrines”, said Jathedar.
While answering a question on this occasion, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said that it will be discussed with the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib to hold Ardas Samagam every year in the memory of lakhs of people who were killed during the partition of the country.
