April 13, 2011 Rawalpindi: Thousands of Sikh ‘Yatrees’ from across the world, including India, have reached Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal to celebrate 313th ‘Besakhi Festival’ with religious fervour and traditional enthusiasm amidst tight security arrangements.
As many as 1,389 Sikh ‘Yatrees’ from India are among more than 5,000 ‘Yatrees’ who reached Punja Sahib on Tuesday morning from across the world.
Talking to ‘The News,’ the majority of Sikh ‘Yatrees’ complained about non-availability of accommodation facility to them.
Last year, 1,364 Sikh ‘Yatrees’ from India reached Punja Sahib to celebrate ‘Besakhi Festival’.
A heavy contingent of security officials, including police, Special Branch and other security agencies, were present in and around Punja Sahib. Dozens of policewomen were also present. Police used sniffer dogs for security checking. CCTV cameras and walkthrough gates were also installed around the ‘Gurdwara’ to avoid any untoward incident. Security agencies were not allowing anyone except for Sikh ‘Yatrees’ to enter the ‘Gurdwara’ and that too after thorough checking.
Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Captain (r) Zahid Saeed said that the Punjab Home Department had sent them directives to arrange for proper security during ‘Besakhi Festival’. “We are in close contact with police and other law enforcement agencies to provide tight security arrangements to ‘Yatrees’. Participants should cooperate with police in this regard,” he said.
DSP Hasanabdal Circle Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam said that more than 5,000 ‘Yatrees’ from across the world, including 1,389 from India, have reached ‘Punja Sahib’. He said that they were not allowing anyone except for Sikh ‘Yatrees’ to enter Punja Sahib on ‘Besakhi Festival’. “We have installed walkthrough gates at three points. When ‘Yatrees’ pass through walkthrough gates, police officials check them with metal detectors. He said that more than 200 police officials, including policewomen and other law enforcement agencies, are performing duties round-the-clock to ensure security for ‘Yatrees’, he said.
He admitted that Sikh ‘Yatrees’ were facing accommodation problems. “We provided accommodation facility to the Indian and other foreign Sikh ‘Yatrees’ at ‘Punja Sahib’, however local Sikh ‘Yatrees’ would stay in nearby schools,” he said. He said that they have accommodated local ‘Yatrees’ in four nearby schools but not on the ‘Punja Sahib’ premises. “It is not possible to give accommodation to every participant on the premises of ‘Punja Sahib’,” he said.
The government has provided 24-hour free medical treatment facilities to participants during festival days. Doctors were performing duty in shifts.
Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Vice President Dr. Sahab Singh thanked the government of Pakistan for providing them with security and other necessary arrangements during ‘Besakhi Festival’. He appealed to the government of Pakistan to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to Punja Sahib, particularly on the last day of ‘Besakhi Festival on April 13.
During the festival, Sikhs pay homage to Guru Gobind Singh, who fulfilled the concept of Guru Nanak in Anand Sahib.
Sikh ‘Yatrees’, including Mangeet Singh, Preetam Singh, Kishan Chand Parwani, Sameeta Patel and several others from India and other countries appreciated the government of Pakistan for arrangements. They complained of non-availability of proper accommodation for the majority of ‘Yatrees’ during the festival. “We will visit Rawalpindi and other places after the festival,” they said.