The corridor

Even when Pak-India bilateralism remains hostage to a thick curtain of mistrust there is a small chink filtering in hope for peaceful coexistence, and that chink is the Kartarpur corridor. All is set to welcome the Sikh pilgrims to Guru Nanak Dev's shrine. Kartarpur corridor is a border corridor between Pakistan and India; it connects the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. The corridor, which will be open to the public on Nov 10, leads from the border straight to the gurdwara. India is all agreeable to this facility, but refuses to be officially represented at the opening ceremony, which marks the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. This reluctance, however, is not shared by many Indians including the two-time former premier Dr Manmohan Singh, who would be there as an 'ordinary person'. Among some 500 guests at the inaugural ceremony there will be Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, including India. Some of them have already arrived. Pakistan has offered visa-free facility to the pilgrims, hoping this would enrich the much-needed global drive for interfaith harmony. But on the Indian side the Modi establishment is beset with hypocritical duality - it agreed to this project in order to curry favour with the Sikh vote, but is worried over its potential to boost Sikh community's growing snugness for Pakistan. Rightly then prime minister Imran Khan is fearful that an attempt could be made from other side of the border to 'sabotage' the efforts being made to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims.

Being home to Sikh religion's most venerable sites Pakistan is a Mecca for Sikhs. Not only are their visits generously facilitated by the government, they are warmly received by people of Pakistan. Last week, the prime minister laid the foundation-stone of Baba Guru Nanak university at Nankana Sahib; the government also issued a commemorative coin on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. He also waived off the condition of passport for Sikh pilgrims, earning in return the political opposition's explicit rebuke. And, there is some merit to this criticism.

The Indian Sikhs are welcomed to visit the shrine, but as of today South Asia is not a kind of Schengen Area or the world's largest visa free zone. If the Sikhs have holy places in Pakistan and want hassle-free visits there are a number of sacred places in India the Pakistani Muslims would like to visit. That India's conduct in relation to the Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines 1974 signed between the two countries is highly questionable is a fact. In terms of reciprocity India is not at all positive. But Pakistan should remain positive. Not that Pakistan is for reincarnation of the secessionist Khalistan movement; it is certainly not. But it cannot be oblivious of demonstrations held by members of Sikh community in many world capitals against New Delhi's August 5 Kashmir action. On the future of Occupied Kashmir the Sikhs are by and large supportive of Pakistan's perspective, and that rankles in Narendra Modi's mind.