A Sikh tears into Pakistan for trying to turn Sikhs against India and its armed forces

As the world gears up to celebrate the 550^th Prakash Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Kartarpur Corridor too is all set to be inaugurated both by India and Pakistan on their respective sides tomorrow, i.e., 9^th November. What was before a far-fetched dream for the devotees of Guru Nanak is about to be a reality tomorrow. From having a look at Gurudwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur using binoculars, to now being able to visit the shrine, the two countries have come a long way.

However, being the country that Pakistan is, even before the inauguration of the corridor, Pakistan is being exposed on a daily basis for the massive propaganda campaign which they are running at Kartarpur and along the corridor to sway visiting pilgrims back into the vicious Khalistani net. First, the ‘welcome song’ which Pakistan released, towards the end of it, had imagery of the posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other Sikh militants. There was massive outrage over the issue and India even registered a strong protest with Pakistan for the same.

However, now, Pakistan has stooped to a new low, even by their own standards. In the premises of the holy Gurudwara at Kartarpur, the ISI has placed a bomb/missile shell in a glass chamber. Beside it, on a poster, an absolutely fictitious and false ‘story’ has been narrated. The poster reads: “The Indian Air Force dropped this bomb during 1971 at Gurudwara Shri Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, with the aim to destroy it. However, this evil design could not be materialized due to the BLESSING of WAHEGURU Ji(Almighty ALLAH). The said bomb landed in Shri Khoo Sahib and this Darbar Sahib remained unheart…”.

Apart from being a completely fabricated lie, this transcript also contains grammatical errors, further proving that none other than the ISI and security apparatus of Pakistan is behind the same. Apart from aiming to fan Khalistani separatism once again, Pakistan has also ensured that they take Islamism side by side with them. To make a complete fool out of themselves, they bracket the words ‘Almighty Allah’ after ‘Waheguru Ji’. All visitors to the shrine would know the meaning of ‘Waheguru’. Therefore, to superimpose a translation over everybody is a childish and desperate attempt by the Pakistani establishment.

It is worthy to be mentioned here that the Indian Air Force is by far one of the most professional and ethical forces in the world. To even imagine that the sacred shrine of Sikhs would be targeted for no reason whatsoever is infantile. One must remember that Kartarpur Sahib posed no threats to the Indian forces during the 1971 war, and as such, it would be foolish to think that the IAF would target the Gurudwara complex. Having said this, there are some serious questions which can be posed to Pakistan though. Firstly, where did the 23% (1947) primarily Hindu and Sikh minority population of Pakistan vanish? In 2002, there were approximately 40,000 odd Sikhs in Pakistan. The number in 2019 has shrunk to 8,000. Where are these people disappearing? It is a simple guess that Pakistan is indulging in mass conversions, otherwise the thinning away of minorities so rapidly is impossible.

Compare this with India, where Sikhs form oddly 2% of the total population, yet have risen to the highest offices in the country. Not only do Sikhs form a major part of India’s military, but are also diligent tax-payers. For a country like Pakistan to sermonise any other democratic nation would be a ridiculous joke on themselves.

While Pakistan aims to buy Sikh sympathy, Sikhs are not willing to be fooled so easily. Recently, when Jagjit Kaur of Nanakana Sahib was forcefully converted to Islam in Pakistan, Sikhs vehemently protested against the oppressive and unjust state of Pakistan. Pakistan must remember that Sikhs are visiting their Guru’s land, which has been occupied by Pakistan since 1947. It would be childish for them to think that they have bought the goodwill of Sikhs by putting up a show of affinity towards the community.

That being said, such incidents also serve as a wake-up call for Sikhs worldwide. It is the collective responsibility of Sikhs across the world to stand with their brothers and sisters who are facing the onslaught of the Pakistani regime. We must strongly protest against such moves to make the holy corridor a channel of propaganda and misinformation. India too must remain cautious and take decisive action in case such propaganda continues to be spread by Pakistan.