AMRITSAR: Rebuilding of Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib at Haridwar seems a distant dream for the Sikhs as BJP-led Uttarakhand government apathy continues to meet the long pending demand of the Sikhs.
A File Photo of Gurdwara Gian Godari Sahib
Going by the statement made by Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief minister of Uttarakhand, on Sunday (January 20, 2019), it appears that he is not sincere in addressing this demand.
Rawat came to pay obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib here. When asked by the scribes, he gave ambiguous answer as, “We are ready to resolve the issue, but consensus is much needed on local level”.
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra S. Rawat being honoured by SGPC officials at SGPC Information Centre, Amritsar on January 20, 2019
While interacting with media at information office of Sri Darbar Sahib, he tried to cover up the matter by saying that “The local Sikh society has demarcated the site for the gurdwara on another place, where path of Guru Granth Sahib is going on and connection of power supply has also been allotted to it. The local Sikhs agree on this site”.
When he was reminded of the demand that the gurdwara should be rebuilt on its original site near ‘Har-Ki-Pauri’, he avoided to speak much on the issue. “Some people do not agree with this, which is the main hurdle”, he uttered.
Reacting on the CM’s statement, Bhai Baljit Singh Daduwal who has led the drive to press the demand, said, “The BJP is not meeting the demand under the pressure of RSS like outfits which do not want the gurdwara rebuilt”.
The gurdwara once located near Har-ki Pauri at Haridwar in memory of Guru Nanak who had visited it for spreading His principles. However, it was demolished in 1984 and replaced with commercial outlets and other buildings. For last few years, the Sikh community is demanding it be re-established.