News Kashmir Exclusive
In a big boost to the peace efforts between India and Pakistan the Kartarpur Corridor was inaugurated few days back .The Kartarpur is a border corridor between India and Pakistan. It will connect the Sikh holy shrine of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib (located in Punjab, India) and the holy shrine of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan. The main goal of this proposed corridor is to facilitate the crossing of religious devotees from India to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, located in Narowal District, Pakistan, only 4.7 kilometres from the Pakistan-India border.
This step is a great boost to Sikh aspirations who revere and respect deeply these places. The move has come after long time and many decades .
As a matter of fact, In 2000, Pakistan agreed to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the shrine without the need to present a passport or visa by constructing a bridge from the Indian side of the border to the shrine.
In August 2018, Punjab Minister and former MP Sidhu announced that Pakistan Army Chief General Bajwa had told him that Pakistan would open the Dera Baba Nanak (Kartarpur) corridor on Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary.
On 26 November 2018, the Vice President of India, S Venkaiah Naidu, laid the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak – Kartarpur Sahib Corridor at Mann village, in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab, India.
On 28 November 2018, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor near the Narowal district of Punjab, Pakistan.Two Union Ministers of India, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri were present at the event in Pakistan. Former Indian MP and current Minister in Punjab Cabinet Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla were also present.
Indian former cricketer and currently politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan role is lauded in opening of Kartarpur corridor.
Many see the opening of this corridor as the opening of peace corridor between two hostile neighbors. All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC), has welcomed the opening up of Kartarpur corridor and said that the step would help a lot in normalizing the strained relations between India and Pakistan.
In an important development, APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that people of Kashmir, especially the members of Sikh community, are “quite ecstatic over the development”.
He said the move would help the Sikhs of India to move towards the different religious places located in Pakistan.
“It is quite heartwarming that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan proposed the opening of Kartarpur corridor and the same was reciprocated with warm gesture by the Government of India. This shows that both the countries are quite serious in fostering good relations with each other,” said Raina.
Undoubtedly if not in short run but in long term Kartarpur Corridor is a step in right direction and move towards peace .
