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Can India counter Pakistan’s Sikh card if Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is ISI design?




 'Kartarpur Ready To Welcome Sikh Pilgrims,' Says Imran Khan; Shares Pics


Jagtar Singh

Chandigarh: The apprehension expressed by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh Saturday about the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor being an ISI design to woo the Sikhs is not only multi-dimensional but also contradicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had been projecting it as his government’s major achievement.

An official statement released yesterday stated: “He (Capt Amarinder Singh) made it clear that he still had his suspicions about Pakistan’s intent and believed the Corridor opening to be an ISI operation, aimed at wooing the Sikh community for the Referendum 2020, being promoted under the guise of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) forum, he added. “We have to be on our toes,” said the Chief Minister, warning India against taking Pakistan at its face value, especially in view of the heightened ISI activity being noted in Punjab in recent months.”

The Kartarur Sahib Corridor is the fulfilment of long cherished ambition of the Sikhs to have direct access to the shrine where Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh Faith, spent his last about 17 years and is 4 km away from Dera Baba Nanak across river Ravi. This would not have been possible without Pakistan taking the first step  to give green signal to give practical shape to the idea of a corridor. The corridor is all in Pakistan territory with opening at Dera Baba Nanak in India.
Pakistan has given a total face lift to the Kartarpur Sahib complex in a record time. It is a high security one way single purpose corridor.

The pictures of the renovated complex released by Pakistan Prime Minister Imarn  Khan Sunday morning went viral on the social media within no time.
When Pakistan announced the intention to construct the corridor through Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu at the inauguration of Imran Khan as Prime Minister, it was a pleasant surprise for the Sikhs. However, Sidhu came under sharp attack in India. India had no option but to fall in line.

This is where Pakistan is playing the subtle Sikh card. Sikhs are now a global community. Punjab witnessed more than a decade long period of militancy and after initial years, it turned into struggle for Khalistan. About 40,000 people have been killed in that violence. The radical political discourse is again taking roots but this time mainly overseas. Moreover, after the revocation of Article 370, the Sikhs and Kashmiris have joined hands.

If one accepts the contention of Capt Amarinder Singh that  the Corridor is ISI design to woo the Sikhs, then the issue is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken credit for its construction.
Here is his speech at an election rally in Haryana on October 19 in Sikh dominated constituency: “Mr. Modi noted that the Kartarpur corridor was about to be completed soon. “It took seven decades to realise this dream. It is nearing completion...70 years after the freedom, this opportunity has come... What could be more unfortunate is that for nearly 70 years since Independence, devotees had to use binoculars for 'darshan' of Gurdwara Kartapur Sahib across the border”… The BJP, the NDA government has got lucky one more time. The distance between our Guru Nanak Dev Ji's holy place, Kartarpur Sahib and all of us is now ending".
Further: “A mistake took place in August 1947. It (the corridor) is an atonement of the mistake. An important place of our guru was only a few kilometres away. But it could not be made the part (of India during partition) … the corridor is an effort to reduce the damage,” he said in a veiled attack on the then Congress government.”
Several questions arise from the ‘ISI design’ statement of Capt Amarinder Singh who might now be off the mark Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a highly strategic move made by Pakistan.
He contradicts the claims made by Modi.
This corridor is to be inaugurated by Modi on November 9. The inauguration at one level would amount to going along with ISI design.
Kartarpur Sahib has the potential to emerge as a centre of the global Sikhs. After all, Pakistan is the land of the birth of this most nascent religion in the world.
Can India confront this long term design unleashed by Pakistan in the global Sikh religio-political domain?


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