The 4.7-kilometer-long Kartarpur Sahib corridor will be reopened from Wednesday, the Centre announced on Tuesday. The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. India signed the Kartarpur corridor agreement with Pakistan on October 24, 2019. Under the pact, Indian pilgrims of all faiths are allowed to undertake round-the-year visa-free travel through the Kartarpur corridor to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, one of the most revered shrines of Sikhs, in Pakistan.
The announcement to restart the pilgrimage that was suspended since March 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak came three days before the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on Friday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the decision reflects the Narendra Modi-led government’s immense reverence for Guru Nanak Dev and the Sikh community.
Here’s a timeline of major events leading up to the opening of the landmark Kartarpur corridor:
• 1522: The first Gurdwara, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, was established by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, where he is believed to have died.
• 1999: The Kartarpur Sahib corridor was proposed by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he took a bus ride to Lahore in February during a peace initiative with Pakistan.
• 2000: Pakistan agrees to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the shrine visa-free (and without passport) by constructing a bridge from the India side of the border to the shrine.
• 2018: On August 15, the then Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu attended Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad.
Upon his return from Islamabad, Sidhu on August 21 said that Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa informed him that the Pakistan government would open the Dera Baba Nanak (Kartarpur) corridor on Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary.
On November 22, the Indian Cabinet approved the Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to the Pakistan border.
On November 26, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak — Kartarpur Sahib Corridor (up to the International Border) at an event at Mann village of Gurdaspur district of Punjab.
On November 28, Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the 4-km corridor on the Pakistan side.
On December 3, Pakistan opened immigration centre at the Kartarpur border.
• 2019: On March 14, the first meeting between officials of India and Pakistan on Kartarpur corridor took place in Attari on the Indian side of the Attari-Wagah border.
On March 19, India, Pakistan held technical talks and discussed coordinates.
On March 29, India conveyed concerns to Pakistan over presence of Khalistani separatist on Kartarpur panel.
On April 16, experts and technicians from Pakistan and India held technical meeting on Kartarpur corridor at Zero Point (Kartarpur).
On May 27, India and Pakistan officials met and discussed modalities for Kartarpur corridor.
On July 8, Pakistan welcomed Indian media to attend second meeting on Kartarpur corridor.
On June 11, Pakistan allocated Rs 100 crore in 2019-20 budget for Kartarpur corridor project.
On July 14, Pakistan and India held second round of the talks on the Kartarpur corridor in Wagah; India gave Pakistan dossier on possible attempts to disrupt Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage.
On August 30, technical talks between Pakistan and India took place at Zero Point.
On September 4, third round of talks between officials from Pakistan and India on the Kartarpur corridor took place at Attari.
On October 20, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Pakistan to open Kartarpur Corridor on November 9.
On October 21, India expressed “disappointment” over Pakistan’s $20 fee for Kartarpur Sahib but ready to ink pact.
On October 24, India and Pakistan signed an agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor.
On October 30, Pakistan issued Rs 50 commemorative coin to mark Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary.
On November 1, Pakistan Prime Minister Khan announced that there will be no need for passport for Sikh pilgrims from India visiting Kartarpur.
On November 4, Sikh separatists, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, feature in Pakistan’s official video on Kartarpur; India conveyed its strong objections to Pakistan.
On November 5, Sikh pilgrims from India visited the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan and installed golden palanquin.
On November 6, India asked Pakistan to clarify if passport will be required for Kartarpur visit amidst confusion over the issue.
On November 7, the Pakistan Army said Indian Sikh pilgrims will require passport to visit Kartarpur; India to stick to Kartarpur agreement on visits by Indian pilgrims.
On November 8, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ended confusion and said they will not charge $20 as service fee from Indian pilgrims visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara on November 9 and 12.
On November 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the portion of the corridor falling on the Indian side while his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan inaugurated the corridor’s part on the Pakistani side, three days ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
• 2020: In March, the movement of pilgrims to Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the neighbouring country banned all travel from India citing the surge in cases.
• 2021: The Indian government has announced to reopen the pilgrimage to Kartarpur Sahib from today with all Covid-19 protocols in place. Pilgrims will have to undergo temperature checks and anyone with coronavirus symptoms will be moved to isolation. RT-PCR certificates should not be older than 72 hours, and mask rules and social distancing will be followed throughout the pilgrimage, along with sanitisation stations in place.
(with inputs from PTI)
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