Kartarpur Sahib Corridor-A Welcome Move - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir

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Kartarpur Sahib Corridor-A Welcome Move

Omkar Dattatray

11/27/2018 10:59:28 PM

In fact the decision of the Indian government to build the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and its reciprocation by the Pakistan side is nothing short of the fall of the Brilin wall and reminds one of that. But at the same time the decision of India and Pakistan is reflection of bending before the will of the people. It seems that BJP government of Delhi and Tahrik-e-Insaf Party of Pakistan government has some inherent motivations behind this historical move. New Delhi has the forthcoming general elections in which it wants the votes of Sikh community and Pakistan woos to help the Sikh minority their and hence the move. My adrenaline level did not increase unlike the majority of my Sikh breathren and my fellow countrymen on the decision of the Indian government of building Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and its positive response on the Pakistani side but much needs to be done to operationalise the decision and only time will tell when and if it will be made practical.The decision of Modi government to build a corridor from Gurdaspur district of Punjab to Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism was received by millions of the people particularly people belonging to Sikh faith with great applause and fanfare. The decision to build the much demanded and much awaited corridor coincided with the 549th birth anniversary of the Guru Nanak Dev ji and rightly it was welcomed by Sikh community and the Indian masses equally . It is a matter of great pleasure and satisfaction that even the Pakistani State has also made it clear that it will allow Indian pilgrims particularly the Sikh breathren to visit their places of worship in Pakistan. Significantly it is hoped that Pakistan will allow Sikh pilgrims and other Indian pilgrims to visit Pakistan to pay obeisance at the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara where Guru Nanak Dev ji had spent 18 years of his pious life and which is the final resting place of the Founder of Sikh faith. It is the New Delhi which has urged Pakistan to built the corridor on their side of the International border and demanded that Sikh pilgrims be allowed access throughout the year. To build the Kartharpur Sahib corridor and its reciprocation by Pakistan government is a historical development of far reaching ramifications and it will have a positive effect upon the strained relations between the two neighbors. It is pertinent to mention here that the ties between India and Pakistan plummeted to sub zero temperature post 26/11 terror attack and since then the relation between the two countries are in rough weather and there seems bleak chances of improving the relations between two countries. It is too early to say that that the building of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and the decision of Pakistan to build the corridor on their side for Indian pilgrims will be a thaw between the countries who are at logger heads over terrorism and the so called Kashmir dispute. It is to be seen as to how will this faith diplomacy affect positively the ties between the two nations. It is yet to be seen as how will this faith diplomacy between the two countries result in smoothening the strained relations given the fact and the past record of the Pakistani deceit and back stabbing and thus there seems to little chances of normalizing the relations post a decisions of building Kartarpur Sahib corridor and allowing Indian pilgrims to visit Pakistan and pay obeisance their decision to build Kartarpur Sahib corridor is of great significance. Given the fact that Sikh community in India as well as Pakistan had since long been demanding their access to the places of their worship in Pakistan and now even Pak government agreeing to allow Sikh as their pilgrims to visit Pakistan and have 'darshan ' there is a matter of great significance especially for the Sikh community in both the countries. It is hoped that this corridor will ultimately pave way for people to people contacts between the people of two countries and it will be great step in the way of normalizing the cold relations between the two countries of Indian subcontinent. But unfortunately as is the history of Pakistan as usual the Indian embassy officials accompanying Sikh pilgrims to Gurudwara Nankana Sahib and Gurudwara Sacha Sauda were not allowed to visit these religious places and the external affairs ministry of India has condemned the action of the Pakistani government. The Indian pilgrims and the embassy official of Indian in Pakistan were denied access despite Pakistan foreign minstery granting them prior travel permission. It is a volte face of Pakistan given the fact that Pakistan has reciprocated the Indian decision of constructing of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor in Indian side and Pakistan also making it clear that it will allow Sikh and other Indian pilgrims to visit their places of worship across the international border. Indian has also expressed strong and grave concern over the alleged attempts during on going visit of Indian pilgrims to Pakistan. It is also reported that pro-Khalistani banners were shown to the Indian pilgrims in Pakistan. It is hoped that Pakistan will react positively and address the concerns of the Indian government. The PM Modi invoked the fall of the Brilin Wall to underline the potential transformative nature of the diplomatic move a day after India and Pakistan announced that they will develop a pilgrim corridor on both side of the border to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan. Significantly PM had made these remarks "Kisne socha tha ki Berlin ki deewar gir sakti hai Shayad Guru Nanak Devi ji ka aashirwad se kartarpur ka corridor sirp corridor nahi, jan-jan ko jodne ka bahut kaaran ban sakta hai". Modi has said this on Friday at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nank at New Delhi's home of Union minister Harsimrat Kaur. PM has made these remarks after MEA accused Islamabad of harassing Indian diplomats and denying them and the Indian pilgrim access to visit Gurudwara Nankan Sahib & Sacha Sauda Sahib in Pakistan. The Indian Cabinet ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep singh puri will visit Pakistan to attend foundation laying ceremony in next week. While on the one hand Pakistan is trying to show its humane face by allowing Indian pilgrims, on the other side it is promoting secessionist tendencies in India. On Thursday, Islamabad responded within hours to the New Delhi request for a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib allowing Sikh pilgrims to visit the shrine the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev.

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