ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥
हकु पराइआ नानका उसु सूअर उसु गाइ ॥
To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef.
With these strong words, Guru Nanak condemned those who grab what rightfully belongs to someone else. The concept of "Haqq" or the "Rights" of all human being is enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib by our Gurus.
Unfortunately, we all have forgotten these teachings of Guru Nanak. His beloved followers from Punjab fought with each other whether to cremate or bury his pious remains after he passed away. The same Punjabi Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs killed each other and forcibly laid claim to each others's properties during the partition of Punjab in 1947.
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| Guru Nanak at Hardwar |
Gurdwara Gian Godri
The people of Hardwar have not only forgotten the message of Guru Nanak but the local administration has tried to prove that the historical Gurdwara never existed at "Har ki Pauri" location on the bank of river Ganga in Hardwar. This historic gurudwara was located at the center of Hindu pilgrim site - Har ki Pauri. The site marks the location where Guru Nanak denounced the ritual of offering river water to the Sun hoping it will reach their dead ancestors. The Dharamshala at this site was visited by Sikhs for hundreds of years and it was known as Gurdwara Gian Godri. |
| Gurdwara Gian Godri before Destruction |
Destruction of Gurdwara
During the Sikh Genocide of 1984, violent Hindu mobs attacked the Gurdwara, killing the Sikh volunteers serving there and burning down the building. The Gurdwara was never rebuilt at this site. Instead the city administration rebuilt shops and government offices on the site of ancient Gurdwara. Currently the building is occupied by the Boy Scouts of India as their regional headquarter. |
| Shops at Site of Gurdwara Gian Godri |
Denial of History
In 2002, Hardwar city administration submitted a report to the Minorities Commission stating there has never been a gurdwara at a spot near Har Ki Pauri — where Sikhs claim Guru Nanak Dev had visited, leading to the construction of Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib in his memory and later, its alleged demolition in the 1984 anti-Sikh riotsAccording to the report (a copy of which is with The Indian Express), the Haridwar administration had stated that a tenant, Ram Piari, used to stay at Landhora House — the place in question and prayed before a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib. In 1979, Landhora House was acquired by the administration to widen Har Ki Pauri in the aftermath of the Kumbh Mela mishap of 1966.
Turning down the request of Sikhs who have been demanding the land to re-build the gurdwara, the report said that it was "irrelevant and impractical" to allow construction of any other religious symbol at Har Ki Pauri, "which on routine days is visited by three to four lakh devotees".
It added that though Ram Piari may have offered prayers in "individual capacity" along with other devotees, but that did not prove that the place had assumed the status of a religious spot.
Historical Perspective
Hardwar (/hʌrɪˈdwɑːr/; is an ancient city in the Uttarakhand state of India. The River Ganga, after flowing for 157 mi from its source at Gaumukh at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, enters the Gangetic Plain for the first time at Haridwar. It was believed that a dip by the devotee in the holy Ganges would absolve the bather of all his sins. |
| Location of Gurdwara Gian Godri |
According to Sikh janam sakhis, Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's visit to Haridwar took place on Vaisakhi in 1504 AD.. The Guru himself entered the river at Kushwan Ghat and started splashing water with his left hand towards the west, while other pilgrims were splashing water towards east, the direction where the sun arose each morning.
When questioned by the pilgrims and the Brahmin Panda's, the Guru informed them that he was directing water to his thirsty fields in Punjab. The Panda's laughed and asked him how water could reach his crops situated 460 km away. Guru Nanak politely told them if water sent by him could not reach his fields in Punjab, how could it reach their ancestors in the heaven. The Guru's reply startled the pilgrims. At first they were a bit perplexed but later began to realize the truth in the Guru's teaching.
Political Standoff
The Hardwar city municipality supported by the Ganga Hindu Sabha has prevented Sikhs from visiting the ancient Gurdwara and offer prayers. Sikhs have led various peaceful campaigns requesting the authorities hand over the site to the Sikhs. Numerous appeals have been made to the President and Prime Minister of India, the Chief minister of Uttarakhand state. All these public position holders have empathized with Sikhs on record but to concrete steps have taken place to give ownership to the Sikhs,A delegation of Sikhs coming from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh was stopped at the Kulhal check post by the city police, here today. The delegation was heading to Haridwar to demand the building of Bharat Scouts and Guides to reconstruct Gurdwara Shri Gyan Godri Sahib.
The city police had made adequate security arrangements at Kulhal barrier, about 50 km from here, preventing the delegation from entering the state. The Sikh community expressed concern over the attitude of the state government and blocked traffic to register their antipathy. The Sikh devotees were arrested for destabilizing peace but were later released.
Please watch this video in full and listen to the peaceful request of the Sikhs:
References
https://gyangodrigurudwara.org/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/10yrold-report-said-no-gurdwara-at-contentious-site/1040168/
http://www.gangamahasabha.org/
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