What was meant to be a sombre function of laying down the first layer of stone and earth to start building the Indian side of the Kartarpur corridor between Dera Baba Nanak and the Indian border leading to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur degenerated into a verbal deluge of typically Indian “Tu-Tu Main-Main”  between the leaders on the stage.

The first salvo was fired by Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who did not like the names of Akali leaders Parkash Singh Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal on the plaque of the inauguration stone. In protested by blackening his own name and that of Chief Minister Punjab Amarinder Singh Badal.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, not known ever to be diplomatic and  suave, narrated the role of the Congress in November 1984 killings.

Captain Amarinder Singh, under pressure from the social media, could not help but explain himself. He spent 10 out of 15 minutes, challenging Pakistan army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, in a challenging tone like a boxer in a ring or a soldier on the battlefield who has lost the first round. He went on and on to talk about violence in Punjab and relegated Guru Nanak Sahib and his contribution to a minute at the beginning of his speech and a minute or so at the end. His anger knew no bounds and he had to come again to announce what his government proposed to do in Gurdaspur and Dera Baba Nanak.

He urged the Roads minister Nitin Gadkari to allow the Punjab government to build a gate called Kartarpur Dwar on the Indian side to which the minister readily agreed. However, the Chief Minister will do well to note that Sikhs are deeply angry with him and they have categorically stated on various facebook posts that, “Sikhs should not take any grant from the government of Punjab to build any portion of the Kartarpur corridor.  The Sikh Sangat is capable of contributing bit by bit, as taught by Guru Nanak and build the whole corridor through Kar Sewa.”

Balram Jakhar forgot that he was supposed to do the thanksgiving and being the host he had to be graceful. He went hammer and tongs against Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

The Sant Samaj led by Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi -a descendant of Guru Nanak Sahib, should have shown more grace and intervened but tilted towards the side of the Chief Minister and against the former Chief Minister. Walking out from such a function was rather uncalled for.

From amongst the gathering, the Congress people heckled the Akali leaders and the Akali workers repaid back in the same coin when they got an opportunity. On the Akali side, led by Majithia, nothing more could have been expected.

The Roads minister Nitin Gadkari stuck to his domain and like a devout Maratha said that “it is my privilege and that of my ministry to be initiate this historic work.”

Though the Indian Vice President who laid the foundation stone of the Highway that will be constructed there at huge costs, did mention about the threat from Pakistan, his speech contained substantial reference to Gurbani and the contribution of Guru Nanak Sahib and was meticulously translated from English to Punjabi.

In the presence of Sikh Sangat and leadership of the ruling Congress party of Punjab and the ruling party leadership of the Badal Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the Punjab side of the Kartarpur corridor at Village Mann in the Dera Baba Nanak area of Gurdaspur district.

Extolling the work and contribution of Guru Nanak Sahib, the Vice President re-announced the slew of programmes, activities and memorials that the government of India in cooperation with the government of Punjab would be taking up with SGPC as the knowledge partner.

May Guru Nanak shower wisdom to the Sikh sangat to concentrate on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and ignore every one of these leaders who are out to demean the Sikhs and devalue the legacy of Guru Nanak.

Dreaming for peace and threatening war, talking about Kartarpur Sahib corridor and bringing in 1984 and violence in Punjab is disastrous.

Let it be known that none of these leaders have achieved this corridor. God in his graciousness has made this happen to bestow warmth and joy to the Sikhs on the eve of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary.

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The Sikh Sangat does not need crores of rupees tainted with abuse and lies, we need love and humility. We need you to live by the ideals of Guru Nanak otherwise all those who have inflated egos will all be consigned to the dustbins of history.

Gurdaspur, 26 November 2018, WSN News Desk