Opinion | Can Kartarpur be the corridor for dialogue with Pak

Little over a week ago on 12 November, the first batch of Sikh pilgrims from India crossed the border to reach the historic Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur in Pakistan’s Narowal district—it was where Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev’s remains have been interned. The day was the 550th birth anniversary of the Sikh guru. The sentiments of the Sikh community were captured best by former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal who described it as his “lifelong wish” getting fulfilled: “This is the happiest day in my life.”

From the reporting by my colleague, Elizabeth Roche, from Pakistan and anecdotal experiences shared by some pilgrims on social media, it is apparent that the opening of the 4km corridor from India’s border into Pakistan has stoked an enormous amount of goodwill among the general populace, especially in India.