The town of Kartarpur is located near Lahore, in Punjab’s Narowal District, on the right bank of the Ravi River. It is reputedly the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism. There, he founded the first Sikh commune.
reopening of the Kartarpur corridor
The reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor has given hope to thousands of Sikh pilgrims who had been deprived of the opportunity to visit the tomb of Guru Nanak. The corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Indian Punjab to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, and will now allow Indian Sikhs to visit both countries visa-free.
This corridor is an extremely important part of the Sikh religion. It is the final resting place of the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Dev. By opening this corridor, Sikh pilgrims from India will be able to pay their respects at the gurdwara in Pakistan, where he spent the last 18 years of his life.
There are a number of reasons why this corridor needs to be reopened. One reason is the BJP’s decision to run a solo campaign in Punjab during the upcoming assembly elections. They will use the reopening of the corridor as an opportunity to win votes from the Sikh community.
After the closure of the corridor in March 2020, the Prime Minister’s Office has been in touch with the home ministry of External Affairs. A BJP delegation has met with the home minister and President to discuss the reopening of the corridor. The reopening of the corridor comes at a time when the number of daily cases of the Covid virus has stabilized and active cases of the disease are at their lowest levels in 10 months.
The reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor will help in the reconciliation of the two countries. The corridor is four kilometres long and connects the Indian and Pakistani border. Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has also endorsed the initiative and said it is a symbol of interfaith harmony.
The reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor is a welcome development for all the devotees who want to visit the holy gurdwara. It is a much-anticipated event for Gurdaspur.
reopening of the Dera Baba Nanak border crossing
A reopened corridor between India and Pakistan is set to reunite a historic town and a gurdwara. The corridor was closed for 20 months due to an outbreak of Covid-19. A delegation from Punjab visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Sunday and requested the opening of the corridor ahead of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
The corridor stretches for 4.7 km from the Pakistani town of Kartarpur to the Punjab border town of Dera Baba Nanak. The reopening will improve the economy of the border town. The reopened corridor will also help pilgrims travel to the holy city of Quetta.
The corridor provides a visa-free route between India and Pakistan for Sikh pilgrims. Thousands of Sikhs are expected to visit the site for Guru Nanak’s birthday this year. The corridor also offers a new link between the two countries.
Reopening the Kartarpur corridor has significant benefits for both India and Pakistan. Its reopening is a major step towards reconciliation between the two countries. The corridor also offers positive security implications for both India and Pakistan. However, both sides should be cautious to avoid politicizing the corridor.
The reopening of the Kartarpur corridor has been a long-awaited step for Sikh pilgrims. Sikh leaders in Punjab have long been demanding the corridor to reopen. The corridor was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, and Pakistan initially expressed willingness to open it on June 27, 2012.
Following the announcement by the Centre, the reopening of the Kartarpur corridor has been widely welcomed. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the initiative. He added that his entire cabinet will travel to Kartarpur to witness the reopening of the Kartarpa Sahib corridor.
In the past, the border crossing has been closed due to tensions between India and Pakistan. But since the reopening, thousands of Sikh pilgrims have visited the Dera Baba Nanak border crossing to see the gurdwara in Kartarpur. In addition, the reopening of the border crossing has brought an emotional aspect to the region. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab Congress leader, has demanded the Centre reopen the Dera Baba Nanak border crossing and the gurdwara.
progress on dialogue between Pakistan and India
While both sides are keen to push forward the dialogue process, the current political climate may hamper progress. India is facing state and general elections, and it is unclear if the current Modi government can survive the test of these elections. If the Modi government engages in serious dialogue with Pakistan, it may risk losing voters. A strong Hindu nationalist narrative has emerged in India since the 2014 elections. This may lead to an electoral imperative for Pakistan-bashing.
The second round of talks had been scheduled for April 2. However, India raised objections to the appointment of a pro-Khalistani member of the PSGPC. The two sides agreed to reshape the panel before the talks, and the pro-Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla was excluded. Pakistan’s government also included Ameer Singh, a member of the PSGPC, into its panel.
The two countries have been working on the Corridor Accord, which governs the operation of the Kartarpur Corridor. The agreement also provides visa-free access for Indian Sikh pilgrims. Pakistan initially declined to host a meeting with India, but later invited its representatives to visit New Delhi on Feb. 26 or March 7. The Pakistani side has committed to move forward with the process if the government agrees.
The Kartarpur Corridor, which will link the Dera Baba Nanak temple in the Indian state to the International Border, is a result of Track Two diplomacy. Once the corridor is completed, it will allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib without a visa. It is also anticipated to open in time for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.
The Kartarpur Corridor is a five-kilometer long pathway that will allow Sikh pilgrims to travel between the two nations without any hassle. The corridor will also allow Sikhs to cross over to Pakistan’s Kartarpur temple, which is one of the holiest Sikh temples in the world.
