The long awaited Kartarpur corridor is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on the 9th of November 2019. This will fulfil a long-held wish of the Indian Sikh community – that of visiting the shrine of Guru Nanak in Kartarpur in Pakistan. The proposed 7 KM long corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in the Punjab province of Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur. This endeavour will allow visa-free movement of Indian Sikh devotees, who will only have to obtain a permit to visit Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. It is said that Guru Nanak – the founder of Sikhism – spent his final days in this small village. He spent his time tending to the land, farming the fields and – most importantly – formalising many a practice of his nascent religion that one day would be followed by more than 25 million people around the world. Legend has it that when he died in 1539 there was a dispute over how his remains should be treated because he was so revered by both Hindus and Muslims. Therefore today, at Darbar Sahib, there is both a Muslim grave and a Hindu samadhi (shrine) marking his passing. Small confidence building measures – such as the Kartarpur corridor – are important, even amidst of much upheaval that has taken place since the work on this started in 2018! Therefore, the question is this: Can the Kartarpur corridor push Pakistan and India further towards a policy of inclusionism even in an atmosphere of distrust? One would wish so but alas it may not come to pass, at-least in the near future. Consider. It has already been established previously that policy is a galvanizing vision that describes the end goal and is selected from a variety of courses. It is guidance that is directive or instructive; i.e. it is clear in stating what is to be accomplished. Similarly, inclusionism was highlighted as the suggested foreign policy for both Pakistan and India, with its broad tenets being – look outward, be unselfish, engage more, region & world first and country later. There are four formal objectives of this policy. First, exist honourably in a volatile region and ensure transparent writ of the state to protect its people from all internal and external threats. Second, convert respective countries into economic and social powerhouse to safeguard and increase the quality of life for all citizens. Third, promote diversity, liberty, equality, and a culture of tolerance. Fourth, strive for regional and global peace through amicable co-habitation and adherence to international norms. Maybe both countries should take inspiration from the way the people at the time decided to commemorate Guru Nanak – by having both a Muslim grave and a Hindu samadhi! He was anyways more Muslim than many Muslims and more Hindu than many Hindus! However, events since the Kartarpur corridor was initiated, have meant that inclusionism – along with its objectives – is nowhere on the horizon for both countries. This is an unfortunate scenario but has been underpinned by a couple of regrettable incidents occurring in 2019. One, the escalation in the earlier part of the year that brought both countries to the precipice of war. Broadly what happened was this: after the initial – and effectively repulsed – air space incursion from India, Pakistan retaliated by getting its fighter jets to lock-on to multiple targets across the Line of Control (LOC) but not engaging them. Subsequently, India lost one Mig-21 and a Sukhoi-30 when they embarked upon a ‘tit for tat’ response. Lastly, one Indian fighter pilot was captured by the Pakistan Army but returned two days later by Imran Khan. Two, the emancipation of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government, under Prime Minister Modi, revoked articles 370 and 35A which gave J&K its autonomy. This was done not only because of a manifesto promise but also because of the rise – and subsequent acceptance – of the toxic notion of RSS’ Hindutva among the BJP ranks. Ironic, considering that Hindutva is not the same as Hinduism! On one hand, Hindutva is a political ideology seeking only to establish the hegemony of Hindus and the Hindu way of life. On the other hand, Hinduism is a major religion stemming from Vedic traditions that promotes a diverse society where pluralistic and varied views are accepted. Both events have wedged the nuclear armed countries further apart. The Kartarpur corridor speaks directly to the last two listed objectives of the suggested policy of inclusionism. That is, it has the ability to foster an environment of tolerance and humanity which can become a vehicle for regional peace albeit fledgling in nature! Maybe both countries should take inspiration from the way the people at the time decided to commemorate Guru Nanak – by having both a Muslim grave and a Hindu samadhi! He was anyways more Muslim than many Muslims and more Hindu than many Hindus! Nothing else is as powerful to suggest that the Kartarpur corridor can become a beacon of light for a region under the threat of darkness! The writer is Director Programmes for an international ICT organization based in the UK