Sikh gurudwaras in Pakistan remain a burning issue in Indo-Pak relations. Recently, a gurudwara in Lahore was allegedly taken over by hooligans replacing Sikh religious symbols with hardcore Islamic slogans.

The Sikh gurus used to travel to preach their conscious religious sermons and stayed at different places on the request of devotees to propagate humane faith and therefore, wherever they went, their followers built gurudwaras.

At the time of partition of the country, Punjab was divided into west Punjab and East Punjab. West Punjab went to Pakistan and thereby all Sikh shrines in the western Punjab went to Pakistan. Everey year, jathas of sikh devotees visit gurudwaras in Pakistan. There have been reports that gurudwaras in Pakistan are not taken care of properly. They are in a dilapidated condition. Also, the illegal capture of gurudwaras have angered Sikhs in both Pakistan and India. But, because of the bigot nature of the government of Pakistan, the matter keeps dragging on for long, unless members from Shromini Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee interfere and visit the site. The matter is dragged to political level, with politicians from both sides reluctant to give ears to each other.

With another gurudwara, at Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore belonging to 18th century, taken over by chauvinist Muslims recently barring entry of Sikhs, the relation between the two sides have heated up. It is of course of a great concern that religious fanaticism enters political levels. Just to suffocate other religious faiths in the country, fanatic Muslims keep interfering in others’ matters time and again.

It is significant that the Indian Government takes up this matter seriously, so that no such incident takes place again. Government of Pakistan must assure that none like this incident will recur in future, so that religious interests of all kinds of communities are respected.

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Via: Times of India