KARTARPUR CORRIDOR WILL ATONE FOR SINS OF PARTITION: PM

NEWDELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the previous Congress government for its inability to bring Kartarpur Sahib under India during Partition.

Releasing a commemorative coin as part of the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of 10th Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh, Modi also came down on the Congress for the 1984 riots that took place following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Referring to the Kartapur Sahib corridor, the Prime Minister said that now devotees do not have to look at the shrine in Pakistan using binoculars and they could visit the place without a visa.

“A mistake took place in August, 1947. It [the corridor] is an atonement of the mistake. An important place of our guru was only a few kilometers away. But it could not be made part [of India during Partition] ... the corridor is an effort to reduce the damage,” Prime Minister Modi said in a veiled attack on the then Congress government.

Guru Nanak passed away in Kartarpur on September 22, 1539.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and several Sikh leaders were present at the Prime Minister’s residence to participate in the event.

Modi said be it Guru Nanak or Guru Gobind Singh, they have taught us to be on the side of justice.

Following the path shown by them, the central government is trying to get justice for the people who suffered during the 1984 antiSikh riots, Modi said. “The central government is making efforts to get justice for the period of injustice which started in 1984. For decades, mothers, sisters, daughters and sons have shed tears, the law will deliver justice, wipe [their] tears,” the PM said.

Modi released a ~350 denomination commemorative silver coin to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.

He described the founder of the Khalsa sect as a warrior and a poet who had immense knowledge of religious scriptures.

Modi said the government now plans to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak across the country. The PM said while the event will be held across various states and Union Territories, Indian embassies abroad will also organise programmes as part of the celebrations.

Guru Nanak was born in Nankana Sahib, now Pakistan. Modi said, for the last four years, his government has been making comprehensive efforts to bring the cultural and knowledge heritage of India to the world. “From Yoga to Ayurveda, the country has succeeded in re-establishing its status. This work continues.”