1

Kartarpur Corridor
Politico- religious dimensions – an analysis
Mushtaq Ahmad Mahindro

Punjab may feel genuinely proud of its intellectual heritage it offered to its inhabitants and
the world. With respect to the subject, Baba Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) is one of the prominent
figures the land of Punjab produced. Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev who spent last 18
years of his life in Kartarpur Sahib situated near Shakargarh just 3 kilometers from India Pakistan
border. The village of Kartarpur was named and inhabited by the Guru Dev himself.
It was the first place wherein first Gurdwara was established and the first Langarkhana was
set up and run by Guru Nanak Dev himself. First Sikh Sangat or community was shaped on the
same land under the aegis of Guru Nanak Dev highlighting the importance of Kartarpur sahib to
the Sikhs. But after the partition in 1947 Sikhs fixed a point near Dera Baba Nanak Sahib on Indian
side to have a view or Darshan of the Kartarpur Gurdwara through telescopes.
The credit goes to Prime minister Imran Khan’s government and the Chief of Army Staff, Gen.
Qamar Javed Bajwa the kartarpur corridor was built and opened without the formality of visa for
the Sikh pilgrims from India and across the world. The things started during the oath-taking
ceremony of Imran Khan as Prime Minister of Pakistan when he invited cricketer Novjot Singh
Sidhu to join him in the oath ceremony, and the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa
embraced Sidhu and disclosed him the good news to open the Kartarpur sahib for Sikhs visa-free
on the occasion of 550th anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. There could be nothing more than this
any good news for Sidhu and for whole of the Sikh community all over the world.
On 28 November 2019, Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor’s project which was
attended by Novjot Singh Sidhu and Man Mohan Singh Ex Indian Prime Minister. Sidhu in his
speech on the occasion expressed his heartfelt pleasure and thanks to the Prime minister of Pakistan
for winning the hearts of 16 crore Sikhs all over the world.

Indian government’s sentiments:

Although, the Kartarpur Corridor has direct impact on the Pakistan-India relationship but
interestingly it will affect the internal politics and social trends of India in general and the Punjab
in particular. The electoral history of India verifies that the ruling political party of India always
uses anti-Pakistan propaganda to win the elections. But the understanding on the Kartarpur
Corridor will suffocate the traditional strategy in the Indian electioneering campaign despite the
fact the BJP will revive the enmity with Pakistan. We see the confused BJP sometimes talks against
Pakistan and sometimes tries to take credit of the Kartarpur Corridor. To neutralize the impact of
kartarpur Corridor the Indian government decided to issue a currency having picture of the Sikh
Guru.
 2

As a success of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy:

It is a fact that the Kartarpur Sahib not only won the hearts of Sikh community but infused a
sense of confidence among the other minorities of Pakistani minorities. It earned huge admiration
at international level for Pakistan as a liberal country accommodating other religions and giving
due regard to its minorities.
However, in Pakistan, there has been a criticism from the opposition that opening of this
corridor is against the sovereignty of Pakistan. For the reason that when India is carrying out all
kinds of oppression against the Kashmiris Pakistan is opening its border for the Indians. Moreover,
this policy will have an adverse effect on the movement going on in Kashmir.
I believe the matter is altogether opposite. Opening up of this corridor is one of the best action
government of Pakistan has taken. As a matter of fact, this would have been taken earlier. As
regards the issue of Kashmir no leader of India will never go against the will of its majority people
the same way as in Pakistan no government can adopt any policy on Kashmir against the wishes
of its people. I remember when Manmohan Singh visited Pakistan as Prime minister of India. He
was asked to play its role in resolution of Kashmir issue. His reply was that he had no mandate in
that regard.
There is no blinking the fact that all politicians are very much concerned about their vote bank.
Their all policies revolve around pleasing and increasing the number of their vote bank. Just see
in India Prime Minister Modi has been elected twice only on account of one reason that he sold
hatred against Pakistan and Muslims for the reason that Hindus who constitute 85 percent of the
population hate both Muslims and Pakistan. Modi not only spoke against Pakistan but went to the
extent of revoking of Article 370 to win the heart of the majority Hindu population, and making it
legal for the Hindus to purchase lands in Kashmir and change its demography.
Even the institutions like Supreme Court of India could not come out of the pressure of the
Extremist Hindu community of India while deciding the Babri Mosque case. Otherwise, there
was no occasion to legitimize the dismantling of a centuries-old mosque in a secular India without
any legal order. (This mosque was built in 1529 during the reign of Mughal emperor Zaheeruddin
Babar and dismantled by Hindu extremists in 1992 alleging that the mosque was built at a place
which is considered to be the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama). As a matter of fact, dismantling a
building without any legal order must have been declared a criminal act if not a terrorist act. If
such acts are given legitimacy then the domino effect of this would be disastrous for all the
religions and cultures in various parts of the world.
The decision of the case of Babri Mosque was made by the Supreme Court of India on the
same day when Baba Guru Nanak Dev’s anniversary was going on in Kartarpur. The objective
was to please the Hindu community as a quid pro quo for Pakistan’s enhanced image in the Sikh
community and at international level for accommodating and respecting the religious sentiments
of a different community thus paving the way for interfaith harmony.
State of affairs as going on India gives an ample evidence that the present political elite of India
in no case want to displease the Hindu community. Rather consider it in fitness of the things to
 3

take all oppressive, discriminative, and humiliating actions against the Muslim community of
India. So much so the Western world is also silent even when human violation incidents against
Muslims of India particularly in Kashmir come to their notice. Silence of UNO on resolution of
Kashmir issue in accordance of its own resolutions speak volumes in this regard as well. This all
has encouraged India to carry out the oppressive measures against the Muslims of India in general
and Kashmiri Muslims in particular.
Same is the case of Palestinian Muslims vs the Israeli attitude against its defiance of the
Security Council resolutions with regard to Palestinian crisis. On the contrary, UNO spared no
time in holding referendum/plebiscite both in East Timor and South Sudan when new Sovereign
Christian states were to be created. This all speaks anti-Muslim nexus between the Western world
and India.

Impact on Kashmir Issue:

As regards the Kartarpur corridor I believe it has gone a long way in winning the hearts of
Sikh community all over the world including India in favor of Pakistan. There is no blinking the
fact that Modi government had to agree to this corridor with heavy heart because the sentiment of
a substantial number of its population going in favor of Pakistan could never be in India’s interest.
It was in this background that when Kashmiri and Pakistani community protested and raised
their voice in support of Kashmiris in UK and USA the Sikh community residing there sided with
them rather they demanded separate homeland for themselves in the name of Khalistan.
In the wake of the aforementioned, I believe that opening up of Kartarpur corridor is a right
step in the right direction. Not only for the reason that it accommodates the deeply felt religious
sentiment of Sikh community who for the last 72 years were viewing their most revered Gurdwara
from across the border through telescopes but politically as well as it cultivated brotherly relations
with an important Sikh community of India just across the border. In addition to all this Kartarpur
corridor has opened the door of religious tourism for Pakistan.
As regards Indian government’s existing policy of discrimination and repression of non-Hindu
communities, that will never help it in establishing a politically stable India.
…………………………………………