Open Forum
New Delhi, 29 November 2018
Pilgrims’ Corridor
OF HOPE AND FEAR
By Dr S Saraswathi
(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)
With mixed feelings of hope and fear, India
is proceeding with the reopening of a passage to Pakistan that was closed
during Partition. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister
Captain Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stone on 26 November to build a
six-km long corridor at Mann village from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to the
international border with Pakistan. Union Ministers for Transport Nitin Gadkari
and Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal were present.
The event in which NDA government at the
Centre and Congress government in Punjab are participating will also mark a
decision by consensus between two parties. Its success will, however, depend on
the use of the route connecting not very friendly countries and travelers, who
may include pilgrims and non-pilgrims.
This “corridor” meant for Sikh pilgrims,
coming in the midst of growing distrust between India and Pakistan, is
doubtless world news of immense significance in the global quest for peace
everywhere. Recall, a proposed meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two
countries on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meeting in New York barely a
couple of months ago in September last was cancelled abruptly thus temporarily
putting an end to dialogue.
India and Pakistan have announced a plan to
operationalise the corridor between Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in Punjab on
the Indian side and Kartarpur Sahib in Punjab of Pakistan. It will greatly
facilitate Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the iconic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib
on the banks of River Ravi in Pakistan -- the final resting place of Guru
Nanak. The corridor will cut down the length of travel for pilgrims by about
200 km to just about 6 km. Indeed, a boon to Sikh community in both countries,
who can also visit the janmasthan (birth
place) of Guru Nanak at Nankana Sahib on the occasion of 550th birth
anniversary of Guru Nanak!
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too laid
the foundation on Pakistani side about 4km from the border on 28th
November. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Punjab CM who were to go
to Pakistan for the event had cancelled their plans. However, Punjab Minister
Navjot Singh Sidhu, who took some initiative in the matter and was invited to
attend the function, was there along with Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and
Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Imran Khan assured the Sikh community that
facilities at Kartarpur will be better for 550th birth celebrations for Guru
Nanak Dev and added that “If France and Germany who fought several wars can
live in peace, why not India and Pakistan. I want a strong relationship with
India. Pakistan's civilian and military leadership are on the same page on
this.”
It has become common to allow two lines of
thinking and even action in some policies --officially taken and declared one
by the Government of India, and State-based or personal friendship based and
pursued independently. It is seen in Sri Lankan policy, sharing of water with
Bangladesh, and in dealing with illegal migrants, and now in accepting
Pakistan’s invitation.
In this case, it is reported that Amarinder
Singh in a letter to Pakistan Foreign Minister has given his reasons for
declining the invitation given the increasing instances of attack on Indian
soldiers and nefarious activities by the ISI in Punjab. At the foundation
laying ceremony, he lashed out at Pakistan for supporting terrorism in India.
Over 3,800 pilgrims are given visa to attend
Nanak’s 550th Birthday celebrations. Massive preparations are
required for their safety and security, and more than that for preventing any
terrorist infiltrations along with pilgrims. Risk taking is part of politics in
resolving issues of undeclared attacks.
It seems to be a good beginning if the
project has come with honest intentions of facilitating Sikh pilgrims and also
promoting friendly contacts between the people of the two nations. It will help
promotion of trade. Reciprocal feelings have to come from Pakistan not just by
words, but by action. It is good to start with hope rather than suspicion and
fear and take the message directly to the people. After all, left to
themselves, people are largely friendly and cooperative.
Once the project is completed, Indian Sikh
pilgrims will be granted visa-free entry to Pakistan for pilgrimage to Sikh
shrines. There are a number of Gurdwaras in Pakistan among which some are
considered very important like Nankana Sahib, Gurudwara Sachcha
Sauda, Chaukarna Panja
Sahib, and Hasan Abdal. So also, some famous mosques situated in India
are pilgrim centres for Muslims.
History speaks of many corridors cutting
across countries built for various purposes from ancient times. These are used
both in war time and for peace.
Economic corridors are integrated networks of
infrastructure within a geographical area designed to promote economic
activity. Corridors are developed within a country as well as between
countries. They are found in all countries -- developed and developing as
highways, railroads and ports, and link cities and countryside. Both surface
and marine transport are used.
The term “corridor” to denote such linkage
was applied by the Asian Development Bank in 1998 which suggested extension of
economic corridors in Central and South-East Asia. Corridors in the 1990s were
known mainly to link manufacturing hubs, areas with high supply and demand, and
primarily to connect production places with markets.
Prime Minister Modi expressed a hope that
like the fall of the Berlin Wall, construction of the Kartarpur corridor will
lead to peace and amity between the two neighbours -- a remark intended perhaps
to open afresh moves to cement cracks between the two countries. Whatever the
intention, its effect is likely to soften the firm stand of India against
Pakistan support for Khalistan. India-Pakistan dialogue politics is undergoing
ups and downs as a routine.
Remember, the partition of India in 1947 gave
a decisive blow to communication and contact between people of the two
countries with discontinuance of many transport services between the two
countries. Two Indo-Pak wars led to termination of most transport links.
The only rail connection between the two
countries was started in July 1976 when the Samjhauta Express between Attari in
India and Lahore in Pakistan was commenced as a bi-weekly train following the
Shimla Agreement between Indira Gandhi and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It
was not a straight route as passengers had to alight for customs and
immigration checking. The train was discontinued on 1 January 2002 in the wake
of terrorist attack on Indian Parliament and was resumed on 15 January 2004. It
was again suspended in December 2007 after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
Through train service was stopped and customs and immigration clearances were
introduced at the border.
In 1999, Delhi-Lahore bus service was started
by NDA government and Prime Minister Vajpayee himself travelled by the first
bus. But, transport services have not helped elimination of enmity between the
two countries.
It seems to be the age of faith in India more
than in any other part of the world. Faith is used to unite and divide people,
to catch voters, and to build political parties and pressure groups. It is used
to preserve conventions and traditions.
The corridor, when completed, will fulfil a
long-standing demand of Sikhs who form a minority both in India and Pakistan.
Meant for pilgrims, it may stand as a monument of peace and brotherhood and
raise hope in the place of fear.---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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