AI Generated Summary
- In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, at a time when relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, the visit of a delegation led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami to the Pakistan High Commission cannot simply be dismissed as a matter of routine religious courtesy.
- This meeting also cannot be viewed in isolation from the Pakistan policy of certain influential figures in Delhi’s Sikh politics, who have faced questions in the past over their direct contacts with Sikh organisations in Pakistan and attempts to send religious jathas through private channels.
- Under the formal agreement governing pilgrimages to religious sites between India and Pakistan, around 3,000 visas in total are issued to the SGPC and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Prakash Purab and Vaisakhi.
In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, at a time when relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, the visit of a delegation led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami to the Pakistan High Commission cannot simply be dismissed as a matter of routine religious courtesy. If there were issues concerning pilgrims’ visas, jathas (religious groups), or visits to historic gurdwaras, these could have been taken up with the concerned ministries of the Government of India through established diplomatic channels. However, Dhami’s direct visit to the Pakistan High Commission naturally raises questions and suspicion.
Could there be vested interests behind this meeting—particularly those whose business of arranging private jathas has currently come to a halt? In the past, certain individuals were reportedly involved in charging pilgrims hefty sums in exchange for arranging visas for visits to Sikh shrines in Pakistan through private jathas. According to information emerging from sources, these very people are allegedly creating expectations among more than 7,000 people that they will be taken to Pakistan for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. However, under the formal agreement governing pilgrimages to religious sites between India and Pakistan, around 3,000 visas in total are issued to the SGPC and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Prakash Purab and Vaisakhi. Similarly, around 500 visas are issued for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Of these, approximately 1,800 are allocated to the SGPC, 450 to the Delhi committee, and the remaining visas are meant for pilgrims from other parts of the country. Visas are issued only after the pilgrims undergo the prescribed security checks.
This meeting also cannot be viewed in isolation from the Pakistan policy of certain influential figures in Delhi’s Sikh politics, who have faced questions in the past over their direct contacts with Sikh organisations in Pakistan and attempts to send religious jathas through private channels. That system is no longer as effective as it once was. This naturally raises the question: Is there an attempt to revive the old system of private jathas and direct contacts with Pakistan through a new channel?
If such an attempt is indeed being made, the issue would go beyond political ambitions. It would directly concern the institutional integrity of Sikh religious organisations as well as the procedures established by the Government of India.
Similarly, serious and clear discussions are needed regarding the security of pilgrims during religious visits to Pakistan, their freedom and, in particular, cases involving allegations of Sikh women going missing, religious conversion, or remaining behind in Pakistan. Issuing visas alone is not enough; ensuring the safety of pilgrims and their safe return is equally important.
If these issues were not discussed during the meeting, then it is entirely legitimate to ask: What exactly was the real agenda of this high-profile meeting?
