PROVIDING a silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud of India-Pakistan relations, the two countries have signed a historic agreement on the Kartarpur corridor that will allow Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free visit to the shrine of the Sikh religion’s founder Guru Nanak in Pakistan, fulfilling a long-pending wish. People in the two countries, Punjab in particular, have always viewed Partition with a sense of wistfulness. The loss of home and hearth in spite of the linguistic and cultural similarities continues to scar bilateral ties, the willingness to trust held back by a nagging negativity, rooted in the mindless violence of 1947 and subsequent skirmishes. The agreement, however, is  a positive development, showing political will on both sides of the Radcliffe line. Disagreement over visa fee remains, though other modalities have been worked out.

While there are misgivings about separatist groups using the facility to their own advantage, especially in view of Pakistan’s tacit backing to militancy in Punjab, in keeping with its philosophy of ‘bleeding India with a thousand cuts’, it may well offer an opportunity to dispel that notion, depending on how Pakistan handles it. The past is, however, not a positive indicator. Indian High Commission officials have been denied permission to meet the Indian pilgrims, leading to misgivings, but Pakistan has continued to allow the visits. An unconventional Prime Minister in Imran Khan, a cricketer, has not helped, and India will have to keep the safeguards in place, for the Pakistan army has always created a web of lies to justify its predominance over civilian governments.

Guru Nanak preached unity of mankind and symbolised values that have stood the test of time. His 550th birth anniversary will be an occasion to redeem commitment to our secular fabric. The irony is hard to miss. Pakistan, created on the basis of religion, is now trying to find a unifying force in religion. The future will be determined by whether they are able to build on the positivity brought about by this bridge-building.