Indian security establishment alerted about Sikh soldiers’ visit to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Indian intelligence agencies have alerted their security establishment about the visit of a delegation of 12 Sikh soldiers of the British Army to Pakistan under the aegis of Defence Sikhs Network (DSN). It has been reported by the Indian official wire network.

The DSN made comments with regard to the Operation Bluestar and posted a graphic representation of the army operation on its Instagram page last month.

The operation was carried out by the Indian Army in June 1984 and it killed Khalistan Movement’s hero Sardar Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale along hundreds of Sikhs after destroying the most Sikh sacred place Golden Temple in Amritsar to crush the Khalistan Movement. The operation continued from June 1 to 8, 1984 on the orders of then Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandhi.

The UK delegation visited Pakistan on June 28 on the invitation of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who told the visiting delegation that the Kartarpur Corridor shows Pakistan’s ‘unwavering commitment’ towards religious freedom. The visit demonstrated that Pakistan is open to all religious communities.

The Indian establishment has been apprised by its agencies of the implications of the visit in the backdrop of social media post on Operation Bluestar. spokesperson of the British High Commission in New Delhi said: “The visit was an opportunity for delegation members to visit places of historical and religious significance. Personal views of army personnel do not necessarily represent views of the Defence Ministry.”

Earlier, a 12-member delegation of British Sikh soldiers visited Pakistan in the last week of last month, expressing their appreciation for efforts to preserve the two most holy sites of Sikhism and other historical places related to Sikh religious leaders. The two most revered shrines of the Sikh religion are Nankana Sahib, the place where Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, was born, and Kartarpur, where he passed away while preaching and is located in bordering area with India.

In the first such visit, the delegation of British Sikh soldiers visited all of the important Sikh religious and historical sites in Pakistan. "I am very grateful to the Pakistani military for facilitating this amazing visit for our Sikh soldiers, as for many of them, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Maj. Gen. Celia J Harvey, the deputy commander of the UK’s field army and head of the delegation, told the media.

Pakistan opened the Kartarpur Corridor on the occasion of Guru Nanak's 550th birthday in 2019. General Qamar Javed Bajwa played a significant role in its opening. The corridor is a visa-free border crossing and state-of-the-art religious corridor which facilitates the entry of pilgrims from the Indian side.

In a message to the Indian Sikh community, Harvey said: "I will ask the Indian Sikh community to come here and see the facilitation. They can stay here, have food, and worship as much as they want, and this can be a model project to increase cultural harmony amongst people of both countries. I never imagined that this could be so amazing. While standing here in Kartarpur, I can say that this was nothing like I imagined, and I will always remember the warmth and friendliness of the people of this country," he added, appreciating Pakistan’s efforts to preserve Sikh religious sites.

Corporal Chamandeep Singh, a passionate musician, while discussing the culture and music of Punjab, said: "We are here for so many days, and it feels like home. We are not feeling as if we are in another country. Punjab in Pakistan and India are the same. We felt so happy when people here talked with us in Punjabi."

Gobind Singh, the chief priest of the Kartarpur Corridor, said: "The Pakistani government has increased the capacity of the visitors to 5,000 people per day. But due to the Indian government's restrictions and the long process of clearance, people are not able to come and visit the religious sites despite this being a visa-free facility. The Indian government should not use such tactics against the Sikh community."

During their visit, the Sikh soldiers also presented guidebooks on the Defense Sikh Network, an official organization representing Sikhs within the UK Ministry of Defense. After completing their four-day trip to Punjab, the delegation travelled to Islamabad and visited the British High Commission and other religious sites of Sikhism including Gurudwara Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib, and Gurudwara Dera Sahib as well as Lahore Fort, the Wagah border, the Saragarhi Monument, Fort Lockhart and Samana Fort located in the tribal areas of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The delegation also visited the Pakistan Military Academy and met Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and thanked him for warmly hosting the delegation for the historic visit. “During their stay, the British Sikh soldiers visited several religious sites in the country which included Darbar Hazrat Mian Mir, Haveli Naunihal Singh, Gurdwara Janamasthan Guru Ram Das, Samadi Ranjeet Singh, Gudwara Dera Sahib, Kartarpur Corridor, Nankana Sahib and Dera Panja Sahib,” the ISPR said in a statement.

The Sikh delegation, headed by Major General Celia J Harvey Deputy Commander Field Army UK, met Gen Bajwa who told the visiting delegation Pakistan respected all religions and recognized “the need for promotion of religious tourism in the country.”

“Kartarpur Corridor is the practical manifestation of Pakistan’s unwavering commitment toward religious freedom and harmony,” the ISPR statement read. The delegation also visited Orakzai District in the country’s northwest and went to the Samana Fort, Lockhart Fort and Saragarhi Monument, where they laid a wreath to commemorate the 21 Sikh soldiers who laid their lives there in 1897 as part of a British expedition.

Yet in another development amid reports that a Sikh contingent from the Australian Defence Forces was spotted at an event in New South Wales (Australia) that had pro-Khalistan banners, the Indian government said that the matter had been taken with the Australian government. “We came to know there was an instance. We have taken it up with the Australian government. It pertained to some soldiers of Australia. Talks are being held, don’t have more details,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. The media reports said that last month, an Australian Army Sikh delegation participated in the event that had Khalistani banners and posters.