Why in news?
Members of a pilgrims’ jatha protest at Attari station after being prevented from boarding the Samjauta Express to Pakistan.
Why Sikh jathas travel to Pakistan?
- Jathas are group of pilgrims.
- In the Sikh tradition Jatha means a 'group of volunteers’ formed to carry out a specific task.
- The 1972 Simla Agreement provided for promoting travel facilities in order to normalise relations.
- In 1974, India and Pakistan signed a visa agreement to allow each other’s nationals unfettered access to certain places of religious worship.
- There are 18 historical gurdwaras in Pakistan to which Indian pilgrims are allowed to visit.
- Pilgrims go to Pakistan on four occasions every year.
- For the birth anniversary of the first Guru, to Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak.
- For the Baisakhi festival in April.
- In May-June for the Martyrdom Day of the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev, who was sentenced to death in Lahore.
- For the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who died in Lahore.
Why the pilgrims were stopped?
- The government has issued no public advisory against the pilgrimages.
- Neither did Pakistan gave any announcement to stop them.
- But Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which sends jathas to Pakistan claimed that MEA did not give permission to some pilgrims to travel to Pakistan for the Arjan Dev anniversary.
- It also claimed that for the Ranjit Singh anniversary the MEA had said that SGPC itself would have to bear the responsibility of the security of the jatha.
- Some others who applied through the direct method to get visas were allegedly not allowed to board the train to Pakistan.
Source: Indian Express
