Sukhjinder Randhawa writes to Amit Shah, urges to reconsider decision to stop Sikh Jathas and restoration of Kartarpur Sahib corridor

Babushahi Network

Chandigarh, September 17, 2025: Member Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to reconsider decision to stop visit of Sikh Jathas to Pakistan and also urged him to restore Kartarpur Sahib corridor.

Read full text of letter below in drive link and text

http://https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pjNZD3159rFBJPZ6Y9ATau6xOB1tmGNG/view?usp=sharing

Shri Amit Shah Ji,

Hon’ble Minister for Home Affairs,

Govt. of India- New Delhi

Subject: Reconsideration of the decision to stop Sikh jathas to historic Gurdwaras in Pakistan and restoration of Kartarpur Corridor access

Respected Sir,

 I write to you in a spirit of respect, but with the forthrightness that my office, my conscience as a Sikh, and my duty as the elected Member

of Parliament from Gurdaspur demand. Your Ministry’s communication dated 12 September 2025 advising

States not to process applications for a Sikh jatha to Pakistan in November—on the most sacred occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s

Parkash Purab—has caused deep hurt across Punjab and among Sikhs worldwide. It has shocked my constituents in Gurdaspur in particular,

because our district is home to Dera Baba Nanak and the Indian terminal of the Kartarpur Corridor. Families here have, with folded hands and

moist eyes, watched elders finally cross the international border— without visa, but with utmost security checks—to bow their heads at Sri

Kartarpur Sahib, the very land tilled by Guru Nanak Dev Ji Himself. To now slam this door shut is to reopen an old wound.

With humility I submit: this decision cannot be justified on any ground—security, logistics, or optics—especially when the nation is

willing and able to field our cricket team against Pakistan in a high-profile Continuance Sheet Page- 2

 fixture abroad, organized under ICC/BCCI arrangements. If the Government of India can facilitate the movement of players, officials, and

broadcasters for a sporting event, surely it can also facilitate the strictly regulated, identity-verified movement of peaceful pilgrims for darshan.

Cricket is a game; pilgrimage is faith. For us, it is not leisure—it is maryada. As a Punjabi and a Sikh, I ask you to consider how this reads to the

ordinary devotee: that in the name of security, a Sikh seeking matha tekna at Nankana Sahib or Panja Sahib is riskier than commercial spectacle on a global

stage. Imagine if New Delhi were to tell Hindu citizens that the KailashMansarovar Yatra stands banned “until further notice,” or to tell Indian Muslims that Hajj or Umrah visas will not be processed—there would be nationwide anguish. Similarly, would we ever countenance preventing Indian

Christians from visiting Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ? Religious journeys possess a sanctity that should be insulated from day-to-day

geopolitics. There also exists established bilateral architecture. Under the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines—honoured for decades—Indian Sikh

jathas have visited historic Gurdwaras in Pakistan on specified occasions, and Pakistan’s pilgrims have visited shrines in India. This is not an ad hoc

indulgence; it is a recognised, rules-based channel for managed religious travel. I urge the Government to uphold both the spirit and the letter of this

framework.

I recognise and respect your responsibility for national security. But the correct answer to risk is not a blanket prohibition on faith—it is smarter

regulation. If needed, please consider. Immediate review and reversal of the 12 September advisory for the November jatha, with a clear, time-bound SOP

jointly issued by MHA (Bureau of Immigration) and MEA. Tightened operational controls: capped daily quotas, advanced online registration, layered ID and biometrics, real-time manifests, and MHAapproved travel operators. Enhanced coordination with SGPC, state police, IB/BSF, and Pakistani counterparts for secure movement and medical/contingency cover. Transparent criteria: if specific, articulable threats exist, define calibrated

thresholds that trigger temporary, narrowly-tailored pauses—never indefinite bans that erode trust. Kartarpur Corridor: restore orderly, escorted,

same-day pilgrim movement from Dera Baba Nanak at the earliest, with any flood-related or security-related closures lifted as soon as repairs and risk

assessments permit. Sir, This isn’t about scoring points; it is about the State honouring the religious freedoms of its citizens under Articles 25 and 26, and upholding India’s reputation for pluralism. As someone who has personally witnessed the transformative impact of the Kartarpur Corridor on elders in my

constituency—the tears, the gratitude, the healing. I therefore request your urgent personal intervention to  Withdraw the advisory halting the November jatha; Announce a date for resumption of Kartarpur Corridor movement with updated security SOPs; and Convene, within the next week, a joint review with MEA, MHA,

Government of Punjab, SGPC, and representatives of recognised Sikh bodies.

I am ready to meet you at your earliest convenience with a small delegation of representatives from Gurdaspur and the SGPC. Please also place this letter

before the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble External Affairs Minister; the matter touches foreign policy, border management, and the lived faith of

millions. Punjab has stood sentry for India—in war and peace. All we seek today is the State’s gentleness towards our most cherished journeys of the soul.

 With respectful regards, 

 Your’s Sincerely

(Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa)