Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his cabinet colleagues along with their family members left for Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor on Thursday, a day after the 4.7-km visa-free stretch was reopened for Indian pilgrims.
The Channi-led delegation comprised around 15 members, including officers of the Punjab government and their family members. The ministers who accompanied the chief minister are Manpreet Singh Badal, Vijay Inder Singla and Rana Gurjit Singh.
Describing the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor as a historic moment, Channi said: “It’s a joyous occasion. The long-pending ‘ardaas (prayer)’ of the Sikh ‘sangat (community)’ has been fulfilled and now pilgrims can pay obeisance at the shrine without any hindrance.”
The chief minister said he was fortunate enough to be part of the sangat paying homage since the demand of the khule darshan-didar of Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, was fulfilled after seven decades. He said he will pray for the prosperity, peace and harmony on both sides of the border. “Our Gurus showed the path of humility, unity, peace and welfare and the corridor will play a pivotal role in realising the thoughts of our guru,” he added.
While interacting with the media, Singla said, “The Union government has not given a nod to all ministers at once. Some ministers will have the permission over the next few days. Some of them will be going on Friday.”
Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu has got permission to visit the historic gurdwara on Saturday.
The chief minister will be interacting with the media to share his experience of the pilgrimage on his return on Thursday evening.
There is festival-like atmosphere in the border town of Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district that was linked with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019. Four months later, it was closed when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in India and Pakistan.
On the occasion of the Parkash Purb (birth anniversary) of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev on Friday, Union home minister Amit Shah had on Tuesday announced the decision of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor. With the Covid-19 pandemic situation easing, the government had received several requests across party lines in Punjab to throw open the corridor to visitors.