Great Tv Programmes On Pakistani Guru Ghar

[shaheediyan]

There are some great programmes on Sikh TV (Sky Channel 848) right now - where reps of the evacuee trust property board (Pakistan) show numerous Gurdwarai in Pakistan, their history and work that has been done on them etc. The presenters (all Muslim) show much respect in their work. Below is an example of the type of work that is requested from the board.

http://www.dgmarket.com/tenders/adminShowBuyer.do~buyerId=1481777

There is also going to be a programme on this Saturday about a young UK Singh who goes on a yatra to Pakistan and sincerely taken back by the misconceptions he has held true all his life.

There is a trend on this forum (more than any other Sikh forum I think) to show the Pakistani population as some sort of monsters - but I doubt these 'experts' have ever set foot in Pakistan - and rather, base all their hate on UK born uneducated, unemployed fanatical idiots.

I know and have met people who have been to Paksitan (Sikhs) and go back every year - they hold much respect for the people their and seva that is done. My mother, sister and grandparents went there over 20 years ago (before the modern yatra tours took off) and had an experience of a life time - more memorable than anything else was the love and respect shown to them by the Muslims over there from all quarters - but esp the poor sevadaars who do all sorts of chores and even make and serve langar, and in some places perform kirtan. There are many P-Muslims today who hold Guru Nanak Dev Ji in high regard and regularly pay respects to his grave at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kirtarpur - Muslims also enjoin with Sikhs sangats in various Gurdwara to enjoy kirtan done their and partake in langar.

Sikhs also receive much hospitablity outside of the Gurdwarai when visiting/wandering around lahore and stopping off at non-Sikh places of interest, farms, pinds etc etc. I once met a Bajurg Gursikh lawyer in Malaysia who told me visited Pakistani every year (had done so for 30 years). He was a Cheema - and used to visit some of the many Muslim Cheema villages in Pak-Punjab. He had many friends there and was always made to feel welcome and treated with much respect. He told me - he could no longer find real Punajbi rvaaj (inc language) in India, only in Pakistan. My grandfather found the same when he visited his old pind during a detour on the yatra and met his Muslim childhood friends - some of whom had kept in touch by letter for over 50 years.

Hopefully this goodwill will continue and Sikhs will get access to more and more Gurdwara across Pakistan - perhaps creating some sort of yatri gateway - and we will see many of the abandoned Gurdwarai being taken care of by perhaps poor granthis from India who will get good accomodation and a decent wage - with a possibility of building up small sangats in the areas where the Gurdwarai operate.

I hope some of you will be able to watch some of these great programmes and even visit Pakistan in the near future and get a taste for the reality yourselves. More than anything - Punjabi Muslims in Pakistan still consider Panjabiyat very important - and for those that are actually involved in cultural activities like poetry - you will know how much friendship and co-operation exists amongst Punjabis on both sides - each honoring great religious poetry and figures from the other faith etc.