Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh to join inaugural ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday invited President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev ji, including the historic opening of the Kartarpur Corridor.

In separate meetings with them in Delhi, the Chief Minister urged them to join the mega-events to mark the auspicious occasion.

Captain Amarinder later told media persons both the president and the prime minister had accepted the state government’s invitation to be a part of the historic celebrations and modalities for their visit would be finalised after the Kartarpur Corridor opening programme has been given final shape with Pakistan.

An official spokesperson said the detailed official programme of events had been shared with both, the President and the Prime Minister, and they had been requested by the Chief Minister to attend as per their convenience. However, the Chief Minister has urged them both to participate in the Kartarpur Corridor opening at Dera Baba Nanak and the November 12 main programme at Sultanpur Lodhi.

The Chief Minister also met and invited former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to join the 1st all party Jatha to Kartarpur Sahib and participate in the main event. Dr Singh has accepted his invite, said the Chief Minister, who will lead the Jatha.

At his meeting with the Prime Minister, Captain Amarinder also urged his personal intervention to facilitate political clearance for allowing a Special All Party Jatha to visit Sri Nankana Sahib, the birth place of the first Guru, now in Pakistan, on the historic occasion. He requested that a Group of 21 persons may be allowed to visit Sri Nankana Sahib to organise a Path on the occasion of the 550th Prakash Purb from 30th Oct to 3rd November, 2019, and bring a Nagar Kirtan to Sultanpur Lodhi via Amritsar (Wagah) later in the day. The Nagar Kirtan will arrive in Sultanpur Lodhi (District Kapurthala) on 4th November.

The Chief Minister has also written a DO letter to Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar seeking formal clearance for the Nankana Sahib delegation visit and the Nagar Kirtan to be brought from Pakistan to Punjab, according to an official spokesperson.

The Chief Minister gave the detail of the events which are to be carried out from November 5 to November 15. Chief Minister mentioned the events as follows:

• The flag-off ceremony will be preceded by a brief public meeting of devotees at Dera Baba Nanak, Amarinder Singh said. Further, in line with past practice, the Government of Punjab proposes to organise an All Party Meeting from 11.00 am to 02.00 pm on 1st November 2019 at Sultanpur Lodhi, he added.
• The complete logistic and security arrangements for this meeting of pilgrims/ Sangat are being made by the state government, the Chief Minister told the Prime Minister and the President, extending a warm invitation, on behalf of his government, to them to make this a memorable experience for one and all.

“Happy to meet former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ji at his residence today. Have invited him to join the main event at Sultanpur Lodhi to mark Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 550th birth anniversary,” tweeted Amarinder Singh.

Pakistan is going to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Sikh Pilgrims on November 9, ahead of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on November 12. Pakistan announced that it will invite Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as a representative of the Sikh community for the historical inaugural ceremony.