Religious access should not be a casualty of political tensions – Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur
Punjab E News (PEN): With tensions easing and a sustained ceasefire between India and Pakistan for over a month, the Global Sikh Council (GSC), a unified body of national Sikh organizations worldwide, has fervently appealed to the Government of India to immediately reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor which has remained shut since May 7, 2025 following the Pahalgam attack and subsequent border unrest.
In a statement issued today, GSC President Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur and Secretary Harjeet Singh Grewal expressed deep concern over India’s unilateral and indefinite suspension of pilgrimages, despite Pakistan keeping its side of the corridor operational. This abrupt closure has left thousands of Sikh devotees, both from India and abroad, disheartened as they are unable to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan – one of the holiest Sikh shrines, marking the final resting place of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
In a written appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the GSC emphasized that the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was established as a historic gesture of faith, peace, and international goodwill. Dr. Kaur stressed that religious access must not be held hostage to political tensions, especially when normalcy had already been restored between the two nations.
“The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is not merely a physical passage, it is a spiritual lifeline for the Sikh qaum worldwide. With hostilities subsided and peace has prevailed, there is no justifiable reason to keep this sacred pathway closed any longer,” they said.
The GSC has urgently called upon the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to take swift action and resume the cross-border pilgrimage facility. “Shri Kartarpur Sahib transcends politics, it is a matter of spiritual rights and religious freedom. Its continued closure due to political or administrative reasons is unjustified and deeply wounds the sentiments of the global Sikh Sangat,” they added.
The Global Sikh Council firmly believes that reopening the corridor would not only uphold religious freedom but also strengthen goodwill and promote international peace. The Council has also appealed to Sikh organizations, the Punjab government, Members of Parliament, and civil society to unite in demanding the immediate reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, ensuring that devotees could once again start to pay their respects at this sacred shrine.
