Respected Sardar Manmohan Singh Ji
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,
Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib (Pakistan), situated almost 3 KM from the Indo-Pak Border, is a shrine where Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, before leaving for heavenly abode, spent last 17 years of his life, preaching harmonious coexistence of different faiths and dignity of labour not to the Sikhs only but to the Hindus and Muslims also by tilling the agricultural land in his old age. This is the place where Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji (previously known as Bhai Lehna Ji) met the first prophet and founder of Sikh religion, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and was anointed as the second Guru of the Sikhs.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was so equally revered by all the three communities that after his immersal in the Divine Light, they performed his last rites as per their tenets and beliefs. Hence the Shrine is equally dear to all the communities. Unfortunately the partition of 1947 parted this Shrines with the devotees living in India. Right on the Indo-Pak border, in the Indian territory is located Gurdwara Dehra Baba Nanak from where Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib (Pakistan) is hardly 3 K.M. away. The devotees who pay a visit to Gurdwara Dehra Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur) cherish to pay obeisance to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and they walk to the border from where they can see the Shrine in Pakistan but the fence and the human wall of security persons hinder their way.
In the wake of improved relations between the two neighboring countries, when the Doctors, Actors, Advocate, Players and journalists etc. are traveling between the two countries and moreover when the Sikh pilgrims are allowed to pay obeisance at Gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib, Lahore and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, a corridor from Gurdwara Dehra Baba Nanak to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib has been the demand of the devotees with the provision of walking to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and back without passport and visa.
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It is worth mentioning that during Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India’s visit to Lahore in 1999, the Pakistan Govt. offered to create a 2 KM long corridor to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and expected a reciprocal gesture by the Govt. of India which is still awaited inspite of the persistent and consistent demand of the Sikh devotees across the world. It would not be out of the context to mention here that on June 28, 2008, Sh Pranab Mukherjee, the then Minister for External Affairs, Govt. of India visited the area around Dehra Baba Nanak and assured that Indian Govt. would carry out a feasibility study for the peace corridor.
In the wake of long cherished desire of devotees from all over the world, we approach your goodself with a request to kindly take a prompt and concrete step to provide a corridor to Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib from Gurdwara Sri Dehra Sahib enabling the devotees to walk to their beloved Shrine and back on the same day without a passport and visa. This would certainly go a long way in providing a bridge between the people of neighbour countries in addition to perpetuating you in the leaves of history.
Thanking you,
With best regards,
Your sincerely,
Encl: Copy of English version of
Resolution No.15, dated 16-11-2010
(Avtar Singh)
Copy to: Sh. S.M. Krishna Ji
Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs
Govt. of India, New Delhi.
