Bajwa urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision and ensure that Sikh pilgrims are allowed safe passage to Nankana Sahib.
Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and MLA from Qadian, Partap Singh Bajwa, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant permission for Sikh pilgrims to visit Nankana Sahib on Guru Nanak Jayanti and to reconsider the Centre’s decision on the matter.
In a letter dated 17 September, addressed to PM Modi, Partap Singh Bajwa wrote, “I write to you with deep anguish and concern regarding the Centre’s decision to disallow Sikh pilgrims from visiting Nankana Sahib in Pakistan this year for the sacred occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab, citing ‘security reasons.’”
Earlier, on 15 September, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in a notice addressed to the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, stated that “it would not be possible to send the Sikh Pilgrims’ Jatha to Pakistan” on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth anniversary in November this year.
The decision, it said, was made taking into account the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan.
Further in his letter, Bajwa wrote, “While we fully understand the need to prioritize national security, it is disheartening to note that age-old traditions, faith, and spiritual practices of lakhs of Sikhs are repeatedly sacrificed in the name of hostility between two governments. The Jatha to Nankana Sahib is not just a journey across borders—it is an unbroken centuries-old tradition that binds the Sikh community worldwide with their spiritual roots.”
He called it ironic that Sikh pilgrims are being stopped while international cricket and other sporting exchanges continue with Pakistan “unhindered.”
“It is particularly ironic that while pilgrims can be stopped, international cricket and sporting exchanges continue unhindered—even if through neutral venues. The message this sends to ordinary devotees is one of discrimination: that faith, heritage, and Punjabi traditions are easier to sacrifice than commercial or political interests,” the letter read.
He further questioned, “Why is it that the interests of Punjab and Punjabis are always the first to be suppressed? Some traditions and sentiments must rise above political hostilities.”
Bajwa urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision and ensure that Sikh pilgrims are allowed safe passage to Nankana Sahib.
“Necessary diplomatic and security arrangements can always be made, as has been done in the past. Preserving this sacred tradition is not just about religion—it is about respect for faith, heritage, and the rights of our people. I hope the Government of India will show magnanimity and sensitivity on this matter, rising above politics and upholding the spiritual rights of the Sikh community,” the letter read.
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