Kartarpur Corridor Amidst Strained Relations
Kartarpur Corridor Amidst Strained Relations
🕌 NATIONAL
April 29, 2025
Thematic Focus: Cross-Border Religious Heritage | Sikhism | Indo-Pak Relations | GS Paper 1 & 2
🕊️ Intro Whisper:
Even when borders harden, the footsteps of faith continue to walk across.
🔹 Key Highlights: Kartarpur Corridor Amidst Strained Relations
- Kartarpur Corridor, inaugurated in November 2019, connects Dera Baba Nanak (India) with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Pakistan)
- Commemorates the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru
- Despite fresh tensions post Pahalgam attack, the corridor remains open as a spiritual passage for pilgrims
📜 Historical & Cultural Significance
- Guru Nanak Dev (1469–1539): Born in Nankana Sahib (now in Pakistan), taught Nirguna Bhakti, equality, and devotion beyond rituals
- Darbar Sahib Gurdwara, Narowal: Site where Guru Nanak spent his final years; sacred to Sikh followers worldwide
- Symbol of shared spiritual heritage in a politically divided region
🔑 Operational Mechanism
- Visa-free access for up to 5,000 pilgrims daily from India
- Requires online registration and valid ID proof, no visa required
- Managed under India-Pakistan bilateral agreement signed in 2019
- Functions round the year, subject to occasional suspensions during diplomatic flare-ups
🚨 Security Updates (Post-Pahalgam Attack)
- Expulsion of Pakistani defence attaches
- Suspension of Indus Waters Treaty (1960)
- Closure of Integrated Check Post (Attari)
- SAARC Visa Exemption holders from Pakistan asked to exit India in 48 hours
- However, Kartarpur kept functional due to its religious sanctity and Sikh sentiment
🧭 GS Mapping
- GS Paper 1: Indian Culture | Sikhism | Heritage Sites
- GS Paper 2: Bilateral Relations | India-Pakistan | International Institutions
- Essay Paper: Faith Beyond Borders | Pilgrimage Diplomacy
💠 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk:
“When politics fences the land, let devotion open the gates of the soul.” 🛕🌍
