Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
India

90 Ambassadors To Visit Golden Temple; Pakistan ‘Ready’ For Kartarpur Agreement

Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Oct, 2019 08:25 PM

    The government will try to steal a march over Pakistan in a subtle tussle unfolding over celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak by organising the visit of 90 ambassadors to the Golden Temple this Tuesday.


    The visit will take place less than three weeks before the opening of the Kartarpur corridor that will connect India to the gurdwara where Guru Nanak settled after his missionary work and is said to have died.


    India and Pakistan are poised to sign an agreement on the corridor in which Islamabad was unmoved on the Indian request to scrap the $ 20 fee to be charged from each visiting pilgrim.


    The Ministry of External Affairs was resigned to this inevitability with its official spokesperson saying, “After several rounds of discussion with Pakistan, we have reached an agreement on all other issues, except the service fee. Pakistan insists on levying a fee of about Rs 1,420 on each pilgrim. We have urged Pakistan not to do so in the interests of devotees. We hope that the agreement can be concluded and signed in time for the great event.”


    Pakistan, however, has almost agreed to allow an Indian consular officer to be posted during the time of the pilgrimage at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and to permit 10,000 pilgrims on special days. Negotiations are continuing on the timing of the pilgrimage and the entry and exit timings.


    The October 22 visit to Amritsar of ambassadors from 90 countries as diverse as Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia and Israel will be wrapped in the celebrations of the Parkash Parv that have been kick-started in the form of Nagar Kirtan, Gurbani Sangeet and Akhand Path by 20 Indian embassies and consulates.


    Many of the envoys here would have been aware of the Indian outreach on the anniversary celebrations in their home countries that have included “Kartarpur Corridor celebrations” and screening of documentaries and photo exhibitions. The MEA is trying to organise digital displays on iconic building in half a dozen countries, including France, the UK, the US and the UAE.


    The Delhi side of the initiative is being marshalled by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and the Ministry of External Affairs while the Punjab Government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee will provide logistical support in Amritsar. The diplomats will be flown in a special plane and will be led by Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri.


    The “Ambassadors day in Harmandar Sahib” will begin with traditional felicitations besides giddha and bhangra performances after which they will be ushered inside the Golden Temple premises.

     

    The envoys will be taken around the special galleries depicting Sikh history, ushered to the sanctum sanctorum and introduced to the ingrained culture of Punjabi philanthropy with a tour of its gigantic and entirely-voluntary langar.


    The ambassadors will be acquainted with a prominent aspect of India’s diversity and sensitised with the fact that the country provided complete freedom in professing and practising any religion, said government sources.


    The government last December has similarly chartered a flight to take 70 heads of missions to witness the preparations for the mammoth Adh Kumbh held in Prayagraj. That excursion was billed as a worldwide “branding exercise” for the world’s largest religious congregation for a month.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Pepsi Makes Its Debut In Fashion Industry

    Pepsi will mark its foray into the fashion industry through a collaboration with homegrown ready-to-wear label HUEMN, launching at FDCIs upcoming Lotus India Fashion Week SS20.

    Pepsi Makes Its Debut In Fashion Industry

    Why Punjabi Singer Gurdas Maan Cancelled Durga Puja Performance In Kolkata

    Veteran Punjabi Singer Gurdas Maan has cancelled his performance at a Durga Puja event in Kolkata after being informed of the venue's unethical encroachment of Sikh morals.

    Why Punjabi Singer Gurdas Maan Cancelled Durga Puja Performance In Kolkata

    Indian Women In UAE Launch Mission To Protect Environment

    Indian Women In UAE Launch Mission To Protect Environment
    In an interview with Gulf News, Sunita Wagle, President of the ILA, said on Sunday: "We just collected 500 kg of paper from the community. It included used office papers, magazines, books, paper bags, notebooks, textbooks and newspapers copies."  

    Indian Women In UAE Launch Mission To Protect Environment

    Nusrat Jahan In Firing Line Of Muslim Cleric For Celebrating Durga Puja, Twitterati Give More Power To Her After Cleric Threat

    Twitterati on Monday slammed a Muslim cleric for targeting Trinamool MP and actor Nusrat Jahan for attending Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata.    

    Nusrat Jahan In Firing Line Of Muslim Cleric For Celebrating Durga Puja, Twitterati Give More Power To Her After Cleric Threat

    Jovial By Day, Slayer At Night: Kerala Lady Serial Killer Jolly Thomas A 'Psychopath', Suspects DGP

    Despite being cheerful in appearance, did Jolly Thomas, the serial cyanide killer of Kozhikode, suffer from a personality disorder?

    Jovial By Day, Slayer At Night: Kerala Lady Serial Killer Jolly Thomas A 'Psychopath', Suspects DGP

    MP School Designed As Train To Attract Children

    Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district has designed a government school to look like a train aimed at attracting children and increaseing student count.

    MP School Designed As Train To Attract Children