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Mob attacks Gurudwara Nankana Sahib

* People protest committee’s report that Guru Nanak Degree College land belongs to Sikh temple

By Shahnawaz Khan

LAHORE: An angry mob of citizens and students attacked the Gurudwara Nankana Sahib on Saturday morning in protest against a committee’s recommendation that the Punjab government give the Government Guru Nanak Degree College to the Evacuee Trust Property Board.

The protestors chanted slogans and also damaged a part of the college.

Qamar Sultan, a college clerk, told Daily Times that the Punjab government formed a committee for the development of the area, which sent a report to the authorities, mentioning that the Gurudwara Nankana Sahib was the real owner of the college land.

The committee forwarded its proposal to the government according to which, “The college should be replaced with a guesthouse for Sikh visitors while the Punjab government should arrange an alternate building for the college.”

Mr Sultan said the news spread in the area and enraged people. “The Nankana traders’ union also observed a complete strike today (Saturday),” the college clerk said.

He said a number of locals staged a protest against the committee’s decision on Saturday. They reached the college at 9:30am where more than 150 students joined them. All of them entered the college and damaged property. They also chanted slogans against the government and harassed the college staff.

Mr Sultan said they informed the police, which pushed the protestors out of the college.

The protestors stormed the Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in front of the college at around 10:05am. They threw stones at the temple and chanted slogans against Sikhs. Later, the mob left the gurudwara and moved towards the City Police Station, Mr Sultan said. All shops and markets remained close yesterday.

Muhammad Bashir, the duty officer at the Nankana Sahib City Police Station, told Daily Times that police had escorted the protestors to stop them from damaging the temple or the college. He said that after staging a protest in front of the college and the gurudwara, the mob dispersed peacefully. He said police hadn’t received any application from the college administration for registering a case against the protestors.

Syed Shamsul Hassan, the Nankana Sahib sub-divisional police officer, was not available for comment.

Syed Saqlain Naqvi, the Sheikhupura deputy inspector general of police, said: “The situation is under control and I am personally going to visit and inspect the gurudwara.” Mr Naqvi said that a case would be registered against the protestors if they had damaged the college, gurudwara or any other government property.

The ETPB additional secretary, Mr Izhar, said the gurudwara was officially the owner of the college land, so the government should provide an alternate building to the college according to the committee’s recommendation.

Sikhs protested the attack on the Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in Lahore. They gathered in front of the Lahore Press Club and blocked the road.

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