The demolition of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Pakistan’s Punjab province has sparked protests from the local Sikh community and drawn strong condemnation from India, which termed the incident a “highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism” against a historic place of worship.
The shrine, situated in Farooqabad, about 70 km away from Lahore, was reported to have been demolished by a local businessman, which raised fears regarding the safeguarding of the heritage of the religious minority community in Pakistan. According to sources quoted by PTI, the demolition of the shrine took place without getting the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC).
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The event led to a meeting between the members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Why Is Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib Significant?
The Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib holds historical importance due to its association with the Singh Sabha Movement, a Sikh reform movement that emerged in the late 19th century and played a crucial role in preserving Sikh identity and religious practices.
Pakistan’s Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora, visited the site following the protests and announced that the shrine would be restored. According to PTI, Arora directed the Auqaf Department to conduct an immediate inquiry into the ownership and legal status of the land.
Arora stated that preliminary information suggested the property was not officially registered as Auqaf land. He also said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s government remained committed to protecting the rights and religious sites of minority communities.
India Calls Incident ‘Not Isolated’
In response to the demolition of the gurdwara, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal asked Pakistan to conduct an investigation into the incident and repair the damaged parts of the gurdwara.
“We have seen the deeply distressing reports regarding the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
In addition to that, the demolition of the shrine and the inaction on the part of the relevant local administration and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has been described by the ministry as being a matter of “grave concern.”
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The demolition of the gurdwara was not an isolated event but represented a much larger issue concerning the safety of religious minorities and their religious shrines in Pakistan.
FAQs
Q Where was the demolished Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib located?
The historic gurdwara was situated in Farooqabad in the Punjab province of Pakistan, some 70 km away from Lahore.
Q. Why is the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib historically important?
The shrine is associated with the late 19th-century Singh Sabha Movement, which played a major role in Sikh religious and cultural reform.
