NAROWAL: Upto 818 Indian Sikh pilgrims who came to participate in the Baisakhi Mela celebrations via Wagah border, left Kartarpur for Lahore on Tuesday.

The 322nd Baisakhi Mela celebrations were held in Kartarpur town on the outskirts of Shakargarh tehsil of Narowal district on Monday.

Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, including Pakistan and India, attended the festival.

For the first time in the history of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Indian Sikh pilgrims stayed overnight there. They were offered traditional breakfast.

Pilgrims said that despite the third wave of coronavirus, the Pakistan government allowed Indian Sikhs to attend the Baisakhi Mela and perform religious rites.

Shant Kaur and Kalant Singh said they were feeling relieved of all the worries after visiting Kartarpur. They said the Indian government had closed the Kartarpur Corridor in the name of coronavirus for the last 15 months,which was unfortunate.

Theydemanded the Indian government open the corridor after implementing coronavirus SOPs.

Guldeep Kaur said she had been visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur for the last several years to perform religious rites. She said that in the past, people used to arrive in Kartarpur by bus from Lahore. They would get off the buses, hold their shoes in their hands and walk through the fields to reach Gurdwara Kartarpur. She said now she saw the model of Kartarpur and in the future, the big project would be completed.

Manjit Kaur from India-held Kashmir said there was a lot of misunderstanding among Indians about Pakistan. She was the only pilgrim from the occupied Jammu and Kashmir who came to Pakistan with other pilgrims. People from India-held Kashmir face many difficulties in getting a Pakistani visa, she said, adding she was very happy to visit Pakistan. “I didn’t feel insecure or threatened anytimein Pakistan,” she said.

“The love and affection shown by the government and people of Pakistan have dispelled all my misconceptions.”

She said before coming to Pakistan, she was scared but when she came here, she saw that everything was different.

Manjeet Kaur said that Pakistan has taken a big step by opening the Kartarpur corridor.

Jagjit Singh and Karanjit Singh Nat said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Qamar Bajwa had built a huge gurdwara for Sikh pilgrims. Seeing the gurdwara was unbelievable.

“We did not know that after reaching Kartarpur, we would have the opportunity to participate in the Nagar Kartan procession,” Jagjit said.

Jagdeep Singh and Preet Kaur said that theirovernight stay in Kartarpur would be an unforgettableevent oftheirlife. They said the government of Pakistan showedgreathospitality. Indian Sikh pilgrims said that the Indian government has done great injustice to the Sikh nation by closing the Kartarpur corridor.

The Sikh pilgrims travelled to Lahore in the security of Rangers, police, elite force and other plainclothes personnel.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2021