Why has Pakistan taken 72 years to open the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh visitors from India? The answer lies in cricket diplomacy. Indian bowler Sidhu, while interacting with Pakistani counterparts, managed to convince the team member Imran Khan that Kartarpur was a sacred place for him and that it was as holy to his community as Makkah or Madina for Muslims. As a simple person, the Pakistani cricketer registered the demand and included it in his New Pakistan vision. Yet, this has created a problem from the Indian fascist leadership, which continues to hold the Kashmiri Muslims besieged under house arrest in violation of all sorts of international norms or humanity. This is a part of the vision of New India under Modi rule of BJP, a political wing of RSS, well known for its extreme vision. One of the components of this doctrine is that any citizen of India, irrespective of his/her caste, creed or religion, must believe and announce his/her homeland India is the dearest place to him/her on this planet. Implying that if the person is a Muslim and he wants to live in New India, he must have more respect for the homeland India than Makkah and Madina. From the same corollary, all Sikhs must change or amend the belief that Nankana or Kartarpur are more sacred than India. How will the non-Hindus in India negotiate with their New India, remains to be seen!
However, as a Muslim, Makkah and Madina are known holy lands and no Muslim in his senses would consider any other place on this planet more sacred even if it is his/her motherland.
What is the relevance of Kartarpur to a common citizen of Pakistan? Some flimsy thoughts have erupted; stating a boost in economy or income to the government. Land rates in the area near Kartarpur have soared in anticipation of the hotel and tourism industry. However, the Sikh Yatris have been visiting the Hasan Abdal area or the Gurdwara near Lahore Fort for years without any substantial economic benefit to Pakistan. It will be another opening for Sikh Yatris, which will further alienate them from New India under Hindutva mythology. The timing of this opening is suitable for the Indian government as it is facing the diplomatic pressure from the UN charter against the human rights violations being committed in Indian occupied Kashmir. The Modi government will try to project to the world community that things are coming to a normal with Pakistan except for one odd issue of Kashmir.
What is the strategy of our government? Is there a plan to advocate the Kashmir cause on the opening day of the Kartarpur corridor? What handbills or pamphlets will be distributed to the Sikhs? How does the government plan to convince Sikhs that the Indian government’s hegemonic designs are (and will continue to) destroying peace in the region and that without Kashmir, Pakistan is incomplete and that there will be serious instability if India fails to resolve Kashmir under the UN resolution? Even Kartarpur, Hasan Abdal or Lahore’s religious sites of Sikhs will not and cannot remain open due to the instability of relations between the two countries. Only those visitors should be allowed to enter Pakistan that denounce the atrocities on the Muslims of Kashmir. There must be a widespread media coverage so that the Indian government amends its policies of suppression of minorities, particularly the Muslims of Kashmir.
Kartarpur should not be handled like the recent visit of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Previously, there used to be a closed national holiday, which was deleted from the list of gazette holidays. Opening the corridor would make the nation forget the actual hero of Pakistan and Kartar Singh would emerge in the New Pakistan. The government should consider making a comprehensive opening ceremony; remember Allama Iqbal; emphasise on the two-nation theory and offer thanksgiving prayers. It is time to introduce the Nazaria-e-Pakistan to the new generation of Sikhs and let them feel the difference between New Pakistan and New India.
Opening Kartarpur without visa and passport may offer India a chance to send its spies under the garb of Sikh Yatris. India has a bleak history of meddling in the affairs of Pakistan. In 1971, Indian aircraft Ganga was hijacked and brought to Pakistan. Later, it was revealed that it was a false flag operation to disconnect the air connection between East and West Pakistan. Therefore, military supplies could not be taken from West to East wing and the debacle of Dacca occurred; leaving a blot on the history of Pakistan. Since then, Indian efforts have not halted. Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadev, a proven case of espionage, has been awarded death sentence and awaits his execution. Pakistan should immediately hang him to death to deter the Indian government from sending spies in Pakistan.
Kartarpur should not be handled like the recent visit of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The two were received at Nur Khan airbase and husked away from media. During their entire trip, they failed to meet any political leader. During their meetings with the president and prime minister, no press information came to light where the Kashmir issue was raised or apprehensions on the UN charter’s violation were mentioned. The royal couple should have been gifted with a Kashmiri Shawl by the state of Pakistan at any suitable opportunity. In case the British High Commissioner did not agree, this job could have been done by the rickshaw driver who took the Royal couple to Pakistan Monument in Islamabad. In the case of Kartarpur opening, the program needs to be well-thought-out and the media utilisation be well-organised.
Diplomacy is about conveying one’s point of view to others in a convincing manner and convincing the other, rather than getting irrationally convinced. It is about spreading the message of Islam to the non-believers. Cricket diplomacy started with the journey of President Zia to India to convey the nuclear brinkmanship message while he was on an apparent trip to see a cricket match in India. On his return, he had convinced the opponent of a nuclear war if India attacked Pakistan. Let us pray and see how Prime Minister Khan, who picked up the idea of opening the Kartarpur corridor while playing cricket, gets the Kashmiri Muslims cause propelled.
The writer is a freelance writer and a retired commodore of Pakistan Navy