India condemns reported demolition of 125-year-old gurdwara in Pakistan
NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Wednesday strongly condemned the reported demolition of the historic 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Pakistan’s Farooqabad, describing it as a “targeted act of vandalism” and calling on Islamabad to bring those responsible to justice.”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,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, responding to media queries.”We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine. Its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is a matter of grave concern,” he added.The MEA said the incident was not an isolated one and reflected a continuing pattern of attacks on religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan.”This is unfortunately not an isolated incident, as we have also seen similar reports earlier. The systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continues unabated,” the ministry said in a statment.”We call upon the Government of Pakistan to expeditiously investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice. The demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib should be restored and reconstructed at the earliest,” it added.The MEA further urged Islamabad to “discharge its obligations to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of its minority communities and their places of worship, and put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance in Pakistan”.The statement came after reports emerged that portions of the historic Gurdwara Singh Sabha, located near Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, were allegedly demolished by unidentified persons during the intervening night of June 24 and 25.Earlier in the day, a delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) met officials of the ministry of external affairs and sought the government’s intervention in the matter.The delegation submitted a memorandum requesting the government to ensure that no further damage is caused to Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib and sought the restoration of the demolished portions of the shrine.The committee also urged the government to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents involving places of worship and heritage sites belonging to minority communities in Pakistan.On Monday, Bhupinder Singh, a Sikh representative from Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, claimed in a video message shared on social media that the 125-year-old Gurdwara Singh Sabha was demolished during the intervening night of the eighth and ninth days of Muharram.Gurdwara Singh Sabha holds historical significance as one of the key centres from where the Singh Sabha Movement gained momentum. The movement, which began in Amritsar in 1873 and was formally established in Lahore in 1879, played a pivotal role in the revival of Sikh religious and cultural identity. Prominent Sikh scholars and leaders, including Baba Khem Singh Bedi, Sardar Thakur Singh Sandhawalia, Giani Gian Singh, Prof Gurmukh Singh, Giani Ditt Singh and Prof Kahn Singh Nabha, made significant contributions to the movement, Bhupinder said.Expressing anguish over the incident, Bhupinder alleged that this was not an isolated case and claimed that Gurdwara Chobacha Sahib in Dharampura, associated with the Sixth Sikh Guru, had also been demolished earlier without any meaningful action by the Evacuee Trust Property Board.
