Corridor of faith

The announcement of a corridor to link the historic Darbar Sahib gurdwara at Kartarpur in Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak gurdwara in India is a good beginning. It fulfils a long-standing demand of the Sikhs in India and also provides an avenue to explore a peace initiative. Indeed, the wide welcome that the announcement has received shows how invested the public is in the idea. Both the governments are working on developing this corridor, and the inauguration ceremonies signal the beginning of the possibility of a change in the Indo-Pak binaries.

Even as the PM led the Cabinet in deciding to go ahead with the corridor, the Centre has taken the prudent step of fielding union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri as representatives to the inauguration in Pakistan. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has opted out. In Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh has decided not to attend the ceremony in Pakistan. His letter to the foreign minister of Pakistan reiterates how, in spite of his ‘desire to pay his respects’ at the Kartarpur gurdwara, he is opting out of the inauguration because of the various disruptive activities carried out by ISI-sponsored terrorists, including the recent attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar. Hence, there is logic and conformity in his action. Also, his sending his minister Navjot Sidhu is in sync with the Centre’s move. 

While the corridor has the potential to build bridges, it can only do so when there is general positivity in the Indo-Pak relations. Even as India remembers the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, there is anger over the handlers and masterminds of the attack not being punished and living free in Pakistan. The Chief Minister’s speech at the foundation ceremony in India too chastised the Pakistan army establishment, even as he commended the two Prime Ministers for taking the initiative. Indeed, building a passage between two centres of Sikhism in both countries is a leap of faith, one that people want. It can materialise only in an environment of peace. Hope that does not prove elusive.