PM’s Gesture on Bhagat Ravidass a Welcome Step, Says Sarna; Urges Kartarpur Corridor Reopening
NEW DELHI, Jan 29 (WISHAVWARTA):- Delhi Akali chief Paramjit Singh Sarna has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar on the occasion of the 649th Janam Dihada of Bhagat Ravidass Ji, calling it a meaningful recognition of Punjab’s social and spiritual traditions.
In a statement, Sarna said the visit carried importance beyond electoral arithmetic and should be seen as an acknowledgement of Bhagat Ravidass Ji’s place within the Sikh spiritual canon. He noted that the inclusion of Bhagat Ravidass Ji’s bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib was a conscious declaration that divinity and dignity are inseparable from social equality.
“Bhagat Ravidass Ji’s bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib speaks to all humanity. It rejects hierarchy and affirms that spiritual wisdom belongs equally to those pushed to the margins. That message has shaped Sikh thought and Punjab’s social conscience for centuries,” Sarna said.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s presence at a centre of the Ravidassia community in Punjab, Sarna said it offered an opportunity to engage with the larger Sikh community’s lived history rather than treating faith as symbolism. He added that Ravidassias, many of whom are Sikh while others follow different traditions, remain central to Punjab’s cultural and social fabric.
Sarna urged the Prime Minister to use the occasion to announce the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor, describing it as a gesture that would resonate deeply in India and abroad.
“On a day that honours Bhagat Ravidass who spoke of equality, humility and shared humanity, reopening the Kartarpur Corridor would carry moral weight. It would allow Sikh devotees to once again pay obeisance at Sri Kartarpur Sahib, where Jagat Guru Guru Nanak Sahib built the foundation of Sikhi, where Guru Ka Langar was formally instituted, where Bhai Lehna became Guru Angad Sahib and where Guru Nanak Sahib left this Earth,” he said.
The Kartarpur Corridor, Sarna added, had earlier shown that faith based access could be protected even amid strained relations, and restoring it would bring solace to thousands of devotees.
