Sikhs await opening of corridor to holy site in Pakistan

A corridor that will allow Sikhs to cross from India into Pakistan to visit one of the religion’s holiest sites is set to open today, with thousands expected to make a pilgrimage interrupted by decades of conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will see off the first group of pilgrims and they will be welcomed by his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan, at the shrine marking the grave of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak here.

The Kartarpur Corridor marks a rare example of cooperation between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 and in February conducted tit-for-tat air strikes after a suicide bombing killed 40 Indian troops.

The deal allows for up to 5,000 pilgrims a day to cross a secure corridor and bridge between the two countries, leading directly to the grave of Guru Nanak.

“They are very excited. If you look at the history, the foundation of Sikhism is from Pakistan,” said Kartarpur shrine custodian Ramash Singh Arora, adding that he hoped the initiative would pave the way for similar access to other Sikh sites in Pakistan in the future.

In the months leading up to the opening, Pakistan employed hundreds of labourers to spruce up the shrine, including building a border immigration checkpoint and a bridge, as well as expanding the site’s grounds.

India had long been asking Pakistan for such a corridor, but years of diplomatic tensions put plans on hold.

The opening came just days ahead of the Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday on Nov 12, which is marked with celebrations by millions of Sikhs around the world.

“For over 70 years, pilgrims haven’t had the chance to cross over and it’s just... going to be a really emotional moment,” said Karan Deep Singh, a Malaysian pilgrim.

Others hoped the corridor would help mend ties between the rivals after years of hostility.

There are an estimated 20,000 Sikhs left in Pakistan after millions fled to India following partition in 1947 that sparked the largest mass migration in human history and led to the death of at least a million people.