India, Pakistan Renew Their Agreement on Kartarpur Corridor

October 23, 2024

GS Paper II International Relations

India, Pakistan Renew Their Agreement on Kartarpur Corridor

India and Pakistan have renewed the Kartarpur Corridor agreement for another five years, ensuring uninterrupted access for pilgrims to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan.

Kartarpur Corridor Agreement

Kartarpur Corridor

Agreement, signed on 24 October 2019, was established to facilitate pilgrimages from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, Pakistan, via the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
The corridor will remain operational until 2029, allowing pilgrims to continue their religious visits.
Indian External Affairs Minister, emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring Sikh pilgrims’ access to holy sites.

About Kartarpur Corridor

It connects Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Punjab.
- Kartarpur gurudwara is the revered shrine about 4 km across the border where Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life.
- The Maharaja of Patiala donated money to construct the Gurudwara in the between 1920’s.
Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines : Pilgrimages between India and Pakistan are governed by the 1974 Protocol on visits to Religious Shrines, which includes a list of shrines in Pakistan and India open for visitors from the other country for which visas are required.
Kartarpur Corridor provides visa-free access from India to the shrine inside Pakistan.
- Indian pilgrims need only a permit to cross into Pakistan.
Located on the Ravi River which is one of the rivers of the Indus System.
Commemoration: It was built to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on November 12, 2019.

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Gurunanak Dev

Born: 1469 in Nanakana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan.
Died: In Kartarpur, Pakistan.

Teachings and Beliefs: Founder of Sikhism and the First of the Ten Sikh Gurus.

Bhakti Saint: Advocated the ‘Nirguna’ form of Bhakti (devotion to a formless God).
Message of ‘Ek Omkar’: Belief in One God, present everywhere. (“God is one”).
Rejection of Rituals: Disapproved of sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, and austerities. Rejected the religious scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims.
Equality: Promoted equality for all, regardless of caste, religion, or gender.
Caste System: Strongly opposed the caste system and social hierarchies.

Religious Practices:

Sangat: Established the concept of Congregational Worship (Sangat) which encouraged collective prayer and recitation in a community setting.
Langar: Introduced the tradition of Langar, a community kitchen promoting social equality where people share meals regardless of status.

Succession: Choose Guru Angad Dev as his successor, ensuring the continuity of his teachings.

Guru Arjan Dev (the fifth Guru) compiled Guru Nanak’s hymns in the Adi Granth Sahib, which is the central holy scripture of Sikhism today.

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