Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar (centre) being greeted on his arrival in Guwahati on Saturday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Nov. 15: The visiting Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) president, Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar, today agreed to bear 50 per cent cost of the 150 pilgrims from the region who visit the Golden Temple every year.

Sources in the Sikh Pratinidhi Board (Eastern Zone) said the commitment was given by the SGPC president during a closed door meeting with representatives of the Sikh community here this evening.

Makkar also promised to send preachers and Punjabi language teachers to the region for two-three years and include representatives from the Northeast in the SGPC delegation scheduled to visit Pakistan on a pilgrimage.

The SGPC leader touched down at Guwahati this afternoon to a warm welcome by local Sikh representa- tives. He visited the Lalmati, Dispur and Fancy Bazar gurdwaras and met local representatives to assimilate the picture of their hopes and aspirations.

“The SGPC president has given the commitment this evening during his interaction with community leaders. Those visiting the Golden Temple will have to go through the SPB so that it becomes easy to keep account. As far as teachers and preachers are concerned, he will be sending them for the first couple of years before local youths are trained to carry out similar functions. We expect more such positive developments from him tomorrow when he will also launch a website,” SPB insiders said.

Talking to The Telegraph, Makkar, visiting the state after 1974, assured the Sikh population of the Northeast that the SGPC was behind them and they should have full faith in the apex body of the Sikhs.

“They should stick to their faith and give education to their children. They should not feel alone. There is somebody behind them. It is my desire to visit all Sikh inhabited areas of the region and spread the message of the Guru. I will be visiting Assam after Baisakhi in April. I would like to visit areas which have even 10-12 Sikh households,” he said.

There are between 80,000 to 1,00,000 Sikhs in the Northeast.