Amritsar: The Sikh body, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today paid tributes to the people who lost lives during devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Ardas (Sikh prayer) was offered for the departed souls and for quick recovery of those who are injured, after reciting the holy verses of Sikh scriptures at the SGPC headquarter in Amritsar.

Notably, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami also wrote letters to the governments on Tuesday offering humanitarian aid in the earthquake affected areas of Turkey and Syria. The SGPC wants to help the victims of this natural calamity following the teachings and philosophy of Sikh Gurus (masters).

Accordingly, a congregation was organized at the SGPC office today to offer Sikh prayer expressing condolences to the families of departed souls from the community side. On this occasion, SGPC general secretary Bhai Gurcharan Singh Grewal said that at present the entire humanity sympathizes with the people of Turkey and Syria including the Sikh body SGPC. He said that Sikhs always pray for the welfare of humanity and SGPC is ready to perform all kinds of humanitarian services in the current natural calamity.

SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami has written letters to the concerned governments and it is hoped the SGPC will be able to carry out relief work after getting the approvals. He said that is the time to stand with the suffering people and all the humanitarian people and organizations who can easily reach the affected areas should go there. He said that going to other countries to do relief work depends on the approval of the concerned governments and therefore the government should make necessary arrangements to send the helping organizations and people.

Present on this occasion included SGPC member Sarvan Singh Kular, secretary Partap Singh, additional secretary Bijai Singh, assistant secretaries Gurdial Singh, Jaswinder Singh Jassi, Prof Sukhdev Singh, superintendent Malkeet Singh, and other key officials.