Residents want city to be included in Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, June 23

As Amritsar is not included in the proposed Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg, to be developed from Sultanpur Lodhi to Dera Baba Nanak, by the Punjab government, local NGOs and Sikh scholars have been demanding to include the holy city in the historical route.

This commemorative highway has been proposed to be developed to make the 550th birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak Dev in November this year a memorable. The route proposed is Sultanpur Lodhi- Kapurthala-Kartarpur-Beas- Mehta-Batala-Dera Baba Nanak. The estimated budget of this 10-metre wide and 136-km long highway is 96.15 crore.

Office-bearers of the Amritsar Vikas Manch said the religious and historical importance of the holy city must be included in the proposed Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg.

Kulwant Singh Ankhi, patron, said, “While delineating the route of the passage major error (default) has been done by the planners and engineers that the holy city has not been included in the highway. The project will only solve its purpose if the route of the highway is amended to Amritsar.”

Noted Sikh scholar Harjap Singh Aujla stated that the ‘Janj’ of Sri Guru Nanak Dev starts from Sultanpur Lodhi passed through the places, such as Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran Sahib and Amritsar, which were populated later. Goindwal Sahib was populated by Guru Amardas, Tarn Taran Sahib by Guru Arjan Dev and Amritsar by Guru Ramdas. During that time the road through Beas was not popular.

As per historian Kirpal Singh, Guru Nanak Dev, along with Bhai Mardana, visited the pleasant and delightful place during the ‘First Udasi’ (long journey).

Keeping in view these historical references, Principal Kulwant Singh Ankhi, patron of the Amritsar Vikas Manch, has demanded from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet through registered letters that holy city Amritsar must be included in Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg.