AMRITSAR : If Amritsar matters the most for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his ongoing visit to India, he did not miss the opportunity to charm Punjabis with his perfect demeanour as he paid obeisance at the Golden Temple on Wednesday. Trudeau did not just perform sewa (service) at the community kitchen and roll out chapatis with his wife and daughter, he also greeted devotees standing in queue with folded hands and followed the custom of bowing his head when he entered the sanctum sanctorum and while receiving “prasad”.“What an honour to be so well received at such a beautiful, meaningful place. We are filled with grace and humility,” said Trudeau, recording his thoughts in the visitors’ book at the Sikhs’ holiest shrine.Dressed in white with a saffron headscarf, Trudeau stopped several times in the “parikarma” to greet the onlookers and shake hands with the security staff. The large screens in the heritage street ran messages of welcome and pictures of chief minister Amarinder Singh and Trudeau.The Golden Temple complex had the usual gathering on Wednesday morning. Devotees went about their routine while a large number of employees of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) swung into action when dignitaries from Canada and local leaders started pouring in. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal too came before Trudeau’s arrival.Meanwhile, organisations like The Canadian Back Loggers Association and some human rights’ groups from Punjab wanted to meet the Canadian prime minister. The loggers group wanted to raise the issue of Canadian ministry of citizenship and immigration deleting permanent residence in Canada applications filed before March 27, 2008.While circumambulating the Golden Temple, SGPC chief secretary and information officer Jaswinder Singh informed Trudeau about the historical places. The Canadian PM also got photographs clicked with Canadian and Indian ministers in the parikarma. A handful of Sikh hardliners, including general secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Jarnail Singh Sakhira, had arrived at the Golden Temple seeking permission to welcome Trudeau. However, they were refused by the police citing security reasons.

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