Away from the media limelight, much work has been done on the Kartarpur Corridor Project in Narowal, making possible its opening at the earliest and generating hopes of a durable peace between Pakistan and India. Dodging bureaucratic hiccups, the government has acted swiftly to complete 40 percent work for the corridor project, since its launch in November last year. Media reports suggest that roads are being constructed from the Gurdwara Baba Guru Nanak to the border point, and work on a bridge on the River Ravi and an immigration terminal at the border is going on round-the-clock. A complex at the temple to accommodate up to a million Sikh pilgrims will also be ready within nine months. With such an influx of pilgrims in Kartapur, the economy of the area is expected to get a boost. The Kartarpur complex will be on more than 1,000 acres, equipped with modern amenities including hotels to accommodate the pilgrims. The site will have an easy access to other cities housing the Sikh community’s heritage sites like Nankana Sahib, Hassan Abdal and Lahore, with dedicated road networks. Reports from the other side also show a flurry of activity on the project. The Indian government has expedited work to acquire land for Kartarpur Corridor’s proposed integrated check post. The post will have facilities for the pilgrims on the Indian side.
Though the corridor eases pilgrims’ journey to the sacred temples, there is the cost of development too. The expected influx of pilgrims requires a huge infrastructure to accommodate them making their rituals and stay trouble free. The heavy construction is likely to alter the aura of scenic and serene surroundings of the Gurdwara. Heritage preservation is often not a priority in plans for development works. We have seen the lack of regard for heritage sites along the route of the yet-to-be-inaugurated Orange Line Metro Train project in Lahore. Fearing a massive change in the original state of the Kartarpur Sahib Complex, Sikhs in America and Europe have already launched an appeal to the Pakistani government to maintain Kartarpur Sahib Complex in its original state. Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara dates back to 1521, and it stands in the middle of 100 green acres once tilled by Baba Guru Nanak. This makes the Gurdwara and its surroundings very dear to the Sikh community. Besides, the site holds a lot of promise for historians, architects, archaeologists as well as tourists.
Apart from challenges to maintain the complex in its original state, there is the matter of politics between the two states. The first-ever opportunity to push the two countries towards softening their border must be benefitted from. India should accept Pakistan’s invitation to begin talks on the corridor. Pakistan, being the future host of Sikhs coming to its side without visa, has invited India to discuss the modalities, but the Narendra Modi government, which maintains a declared boycott of talks with Pakistan, is showing an unnecessary firmness on an important issue. With general elections around the corner in India, the ruling BJP would not like to lose its vote base, mostly built around an anti-Pakistan rhetoric, by sending a delegation for talks. However, it can still open a backdoor channel to reach an agreement on the issue. The Modi administration must not let the gains of the corridor be sacrificed at the altar of party politics. It must look at the bigger picture which has afforded the two sides of an opportunity to bring people closer and open more avenues for a durable peace. Now, when the corridor is moving towards its completion, power corridors in Islamabad and New Delhi should also reset the policy environment to maximise the potential of this important development. *
Published in Daily Times, February 2nd 2019.