Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu today visited the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur and offered prayers for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor. Calling himself Baba Ji’s postman, Sidhu expressed his gratitude to 'Baba Ji' for the opening of the corridor between India and Pakistan.
On the second anniversary of the Kartarpur Corridor's opening, Sidhu visited Darshan Asthan near the zero line in Gurdaspur district today, on November 9 to get a glimpse of Gurdwara
Darbar Sahib (in Pakistan's Narowal district) across the border and urged the Centre to reopen it.
"I was just a postman of Baba Nanak who conveyed his message and the Kartarpur Corridor opened," Sidhu said, adding that the Kartarpur Corridor was opened because of Baba Nanak's
blessings and the prayers of the faithful.
Since the Indo-Pak partition, followers of Guru Nanak Dev, the Sikh's first master, have been striving for the opening of the corridor so that they could travel to Pakistan and pay
obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, where Baba Nanak spent around 18 years before departing for the heavenly abode.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan is only 4 kilometres from the zero line on the Indo-Pak border. The corridor was opened two years ago on Guru Nanak's 550th birthday
to allow Indian pilgrims visa-free access to the gurdwara. When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out early last year, it was shut down. Despite the fact that Pakistan reopened the corridor after the situation improved, India's
suspension remains in place.
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Prayed for reopening the ‘Corridor of Infinite possibilities’
Sidhu offered ardas (prayer) after observing the historic gurdwara through binoculars, and said, "I prayed to Baba Nanak to reopen the corridor." I'm seeking his blessings
once more because the corridor was opened because of his power."
Labelling it as a “corridor of infinite possibilities” Sidhu said, "Every day, about 5,000 devotees come here to pay their respects.”
“A year and a half ago, the Land Port Authority of India promised to create Darshan Asthan (a raised platform 100 metres wide and 60 metres high) to allow the Sangat (community)
to see the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara. It is my request to India's home minister that the Sangat be given a platform,” he added.
“I'll write to the Centre, and they can inform the state government if there's a problem,” he said. “I can assure you that the Punjab government will make this a top priority. Four to five binoculars are recommended. We want to keep the corridor open.”