THE opening of the Kartarpur Corridor last year, providing visa-free access to a revered gurdwara located on Pakistani soil to Sikh visitors, was designed to help improve relations between Islamabad and New Delhi. Prime Minister Imran Khan had inaugurated it on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Sikhism’s central figure, as a gesture of goodwill to Sikhs across the world, particularly in India. However, politics and rigidity on the Indian side have ensured that the dream of this ‘peace corridor’ remains unfulfilled. As the Foreign Office has observed in a statement, India has yet to reopen the corridor from its side. The passage was closed in March this year as a measure to control the Covid-19 outbreak, but even before the pandemic spread far and wide, not many people were using the corridor, ostensibly due to obstacles created by India. Indian Sikhs have also demanded that their government open the passage.

While it is true that people will be hesitant to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the Kartarpur Corridor is concerned it appears that India’s concerns are less about health and safety, and more about maintaining a confrontational posture with Pakistan. Once the danger from the pandemic subsides, India needs to seriously consider reopening the corridor if it truly wants to give Sikh pilgrims access to the religious site. In fact, as has been stated before in these columns, if both countries allow religious visits for nationals of the other country, this can play a role in reducing levels of mistrust and hatred through people-to-people contact. Along with Kartarpur, there are a host of other Sikh shrines, as well as historical Hindu temples, across Pakistan. On the other hand, a large number of Pakistanis have a desire to visit the famed dargahs in Ajmer, Delhi and other Indian cities to pay their respects to venerated Sufi masters. Once the Covid-19 wave subsides, both states must work on giving easier access to religious visitors from across the border.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2020