AMRITSAR – In a diplomatic appeal aimed at easing the religious journey for a marginalized community, former Rajya Sabha MP and Padma Bhushan awardee Tarlochan Singh has formally urged the Pakistan High Commissioner to India to allow Pakistani Sikh pilgrims to cross the Wagah-Attari international border by land.
The intervention follows reports that a group of Pakistani Sikhs, intending to travel to India for their annual pilgrimage to the sacred Hemkund Sahib shrine, have been denied permission by their own government to use the land route. This restriction forces the devotees to undertake significantly more expensive and arduous air travel, imposing an unnecessary financial burden on a small community.
A Question of Reciprocity
Expressing his astonishment at the decision, Tarlochan Singh questioned the logic behind Islamabad’s refusal, noting the stark asymmetry in how the two nations currently manage cross-border religious travel.
“I am flabbergasted to read that the Pakistan government has not allowed its own citizens—a group of Sikh pilgrims—to travel through the Wagah border for a religious purpose,” Singh stated. He pointed out that India regularly facilitates the transit of Sikh jathas (pilgrim groups) from Pakistan to visit various shrines within India. Conversely, Indian Sikh pilgrims are frequently permitted to cross the Wagah-Attari border multiple times a year to visit historical Gurudwaras in Pakistan.
“Pakistan has made a huge mistake by denying this facility to its own Sikh citizens,” Singh wrote in his letter to the High Commissioner. He emphasized that under existing bilateral understandings, Pakistani nationals already in India are permitted to return to their home country through the land border, making the refusal to allow outward travel even more baffling.
Financial and Logistical Hurdles
The jatha in question, which is not covered under the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, consists of residents who make the annual journey to Hemkund Sahib. The land route at Wagah-Attari has faced various restrictions since the period of Operation Sindoor due to security considerations. However, advocates for the pilgrims argue that the current bureaucratic bottleneck creates an avoidable hurdle for the Sikh minority in Pakistan.
Sarbat Singh, a former member of the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), confirmed that the group has yet to receive clearance to utilize the land border. Attempts to reach the jatha leader, Papinder Singh, for comment remained unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Preserving a Legacy of Goodwill
In his appeal, Tarlochan Singh invoked the spirit of diplomacy established by the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He reminded the High Commissioner that it was under Vajpayee’s leadership that the policy of allowing Sikhs living in Pakistan to visit India for pilgrimages was first instituted—a move that was widely hailed as a significant step toward improving people-to-people relations.
“I request you to please reconsider such a decision which creates a hindrance to the small Sikh community living in Pakistan in its religious affairs,” Singh wrote.
As the debate continues, the case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by religious minorities in the region, whose spiritual practices are frequently subject to the shifting tides of geopolitical tensions. For the pilgrims, the hope remains that authorities will prioritize humanitarian and religious considerations over rigid bureaucratic barriers, allowing them a safe and affordable passage to one of their most venerated sites.
Disclaimer: This India news content is auto-generated and paraphrased from original sources for informational purposes only.
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