The Centre states its decision to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from November 17 saying the decision will benefit the Sikh community.
The decision to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was taken on Tuesday following the meeting of BJP’s MP from Punjab with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
In a tweet the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah said, “In a major decision, that will benefit large numbers of Sikh pilgrims, PM @Narendramodi govt has decided to re-open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from tomorrow, Nov 17. “This decision reflects the immense reverence of Modi govt towards Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and our Sikh community.”
He further said the decision will “further boost the joy and happiness across the country.” “The nation is all set to celebrate the Prakash Utsav of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji on 19th of November and I am sure that PM @NarendraModi govt’s decision to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib corridor will further boost the joy and happiness across the country,” the Home Minister said.
On Tuesday, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged the Prime Minister to open the Kartarpur Corridor before November 19, so that pilgrims can pay obeisance at the holy shrine on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Taking to the social media, Captain Amarinder Singh said, “I urge Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji to open the Kartarpur Corridor before Nov 19, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, so that people can pay obeisance at the holy shrine on this sacred occasion.”
The corridor, which was inaugurated in 2019, was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the fall in the number of COVID-19 cases, the decision to reopen the corridor has been taken. “Government of India has decided to resume operations of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from November 17, keeping in view of the improved COVID-19 situation,” the Home Ministry said.
During the weekly media announcement held last Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “A limited movement was happening via the Wagah-Attari border. Both countries are following the protocols. “Given the importance of Gurupurab and keeping religious sentiments in mind, we have decided that a jatha of around 1,500 pilgrims will be going via Wagah ICP between November 17-26, to Pakistan.” This visit will be covered under the 1974 bilateral protocol between India and Pakistan on visits to religious shrines, he added.
The pilgrims are scheduled to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib, Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, Gurudwara Panja Sahib, Gurudwara Dehra Sahib, Gurudwara Nankana Sahib and Gurudwara Sachha Sauda from 17th to 26th of November.
In November 2019, India and Pakistan threw open the Kartarpur corridor linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India with the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, in an important “people-to-people initiative”
Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located in Pakistan’s Narowal district across the River Ravi, about four kilometers from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine, a visa-free corridor.
It is built on the historic site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, settled and assembled the Sikh community after his missionary travels to Haridwar, Mecca-Medina, Lanka, Baghdad, Kashmir and Nepal where he lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib also claimed to be the largest gurdwara in the world.