Urges Uttrakhand and Govt. of India to Initiate Process at Earliest as per wishes of Sikhs
Amritsar, August 13, 2020: Punjab Bhartiya Janta Party’s senior leader Mr. Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina today made an appeal to government of India and government of Uttrakhand to immediately grant permission for re-construction of Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib at Haridwar. He said it is the long pending demand of the Sikhs to re-construct the historic Gurdwara, associated with the `holy visit’ of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
In a press statement issued here, Mr. Chhina, who is former vice President, Punjab BJP and now state executive member said there existed a Gurdwara building which was razed down by district administration. ``Now there exist a small room as dilapidated building was razed a few years back. This had hurt the feelings of the Sikhs. We had been demanding for long now that the governments, taking into account the religious sentiments of the Sikhs, allow its re-construction”, said he.
He congratulated the Hindus community worldwide for the re-construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya which he said was as per the wishes of the majority community. ``We Sikhs are minority in the country. Our sacrifices during freedom struggle and later towards nation had been exemplary. But our religious places seems not safe and razing of Gyan Godri Gurdwara is an example”, said he.
``Presently only some pillars are left of the old building. We Sikhs just want permission and through the Kar Sewa we will built the shrine on our own. I want Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah to intervene into the matter. ``If Ram Temple can be constructed why not our own Gurdwara at the historic site”, he asked as he appealed Uttrakhand CM Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat for the help in this regard”.
Urging the top authorities, Chhina said only a small room is available where the Parkash (installation) of holy Guru Granth Sahib has been arranged. There is a market nearby from where the land can be purchased and a shrine is appropriately re-built as per the wishes of the Sikhs. He also proposed to create a high signature campaign to be initiated by the Sikhs in this connection.
Mr Chhina said site of the Gurdwara Gyan Godri (Treasure of Knowledge) is dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev's visit to Haridwar during one of Guru’s world voyages. The historic place is located at Har Ki Pauri, on the banks of the River Ganga, in Haridwar. This was exactly the place where Guru Nanak Dev gave his important message of universal love and peace”, said he.
He said the district administration and local authorities had acquired the place for the following the Kumbh Mela stampede in 1966 and later to widen Har Ki Pauri, a major portion of the Gurdwara building was demolished. ``The shrine must be immediately re-build”, he asked.