AMRITSAR: A hidden bunker of the Army located close to the international border with Pakistan at Dera Baba Nanak was bulldozed for the construction on the Indian side of the Kartarpur corridor.

According to sources, an Army’s defence bunker concealed in a Dhussi Bundh was creating an obstacle for the piling work of a 100 m-long bridge being constructed by India as part of the Indian side of the corridor, following which the issue was taken up with the Army officials for bulldozing the defence bunker. “The bunker was dismantled after getting due permission from the authorities concerned since it was creating hurdles in the piling work of the bridge,” said sources seeking anonymity. 

Meanwhile, the issue of construction on land around Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, by Pakistan government was once again raised by the American Sikh Council (ASC).

“After all concentrated work that has been put in by ASC representatives, it seems that everything has gone to waste because the Pakistani authorities have decided to turn a deaf ear to all our pleas and no amount of common sense or logic seems to wake up their conscience. Rather the only thing that is driving this massive erosion of the Guru’s legacy is greed. Construction on this domain destroys deep sanctity, the spirit of the sacred site of an independent world faith and any chances of archaeological revival of the lost heritage associated with Baba Nanak,” said ASC vice-president Jasbir Kaur. 

The ASC claims to have put in a tremendous amount of effort to highlight that the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and its surrounding 104 acres remain untouched and not be turned into a tourist attraction through complete destruction and then modernisation by the Pakistan government. The ASC is of view that it will not be in a position to promote Kartarpur Sahib to all Sikhs in the diaspora as no sensible Sikh wishes to spend thousands of dollars to visit a ‘marble’ monstrosity in place of the original simplicity which existed just six months ago at Kartarpur Sahib.