• India
  • Jul 15

Short Takes / Kartarpur corridor

Free access for pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib

Pakistan has agreed to give Indian pilgrims a year-long visa-free access to the holy gurdwara of Kartarpur Sahib.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the agreement was reached at the second formal meeting held in Wagah.

India suggested that the holy shrine be open to Indian citizens of all faiths. However, a message from Pakistan said there will be provision for a permit system for pilgrims travelling through the religious corridor.

India has urged that at least 5,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit the gurdwara on a daily basis and insisted that 10,000 more be allowed to visit on special occasions and festivals.

India has also asked Pakistan to prevent Khalistan supporters from misusing the historic initiative.

The discussions highlighted the preparatory work underway on both sides of the border for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

India also urged Pakistan to allow Nagar Kirtan from Delhi to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan in July and October-November as part of the celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of the first Sikh guru.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur

* Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, also called Kartarpur Sahib, is a gurdwara in Kartarpur, Narowal district, Pakistan.

* It is built on the historic site where Guru Nanak settled and assembled the Sikh commune after his missionary travels. The present gurdwara is built on the site where Guru Nanak died on September 22, 1539.

* The gurdwara is also notable for its location near the border between Pakistan and India. The shrine is visible from the Indian side of the border. Indian Sikhs gather in large numbers on bluffs to perform darshan from the Indian side of the border.

* The shrine is located by the Ravi river within a distance of 4 km from the Dera Sahib railway station.

* The gurdwara was opened to pilgrims after repairs and restoration in 1999, and Sikh jathas have been visiting the shrine regularly ever since.

* Sikh jathas from India travel every year to Kartarpur gurudwara on four occasions - Baisakhi, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and on the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev.


Project work on the Indian side

* India has identified 50 acres of land for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor.

* The passenger terminal building complex will be built in two phases. It will be a green building and will display murals.

* The design of the complex is inspired by the symbol ‘Khanda’, which symbolises values of oneness and humanity.

* A robust security system will be put in place in and around the passenger terminal building.

* The terminal building will be ready to host at least 5,000 pilgrims on any given day.

A bridge between India and Pakistan

* The Kartarpur road corridor will link India’s border district of Gurdaspur with the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, which was the resting place of Guru Nanak.

* The Indian side of the corridor starts from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district and extends upto the international border between India and Pakistan.

* The corridor will be developed by the National Highways Authority of India and funded by the Union government.

* The corridor will have four lanes with a service road and have amenities needed by pilgrims.

* A high-level committee chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh will regularly review, monitor and oversee the implementation of the project to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

* India had first proposed the Kartarpur Sahib corridor in 1999 when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a bus ride to Lahore.

Law Commission to be formed soon

With India left without a Law Commission since September 2018, the law ministry has set the ball rolling for the formation of the body that helps the government on complex legal issues. The three-year term of the 21st Law Commission ended on August 31, 2018. Led by Justice (retd) B.S. Chauhan, it had submitted reports and working papers on issues such as simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies and the Uniform Civil Code.

Law Commission of India

The Law Commission of India is neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body. It is truly an ad hoc and advisory body whose work is to do research and make recommendations for law reforms such as amendments and updations of prevalent and inherited laws.

None of these recommendations are binding upon the government.

The commission is headed by a full-time chairperson. It membership comprises legal experts who are entrusted a mandate by the government. For example, the 21st Law Commission would be comprised of…

* A full-time chairperson

* Four full-time members (including a member-secretary)

* Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex offcio member

* Secretary, Legislative Department as ex offcio member

* Not more than five part-time members

The first Law Commission set up in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833. It was set up under the chairmanship of Lord Macaulay, which suggested codification of the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. The Indian Contract Act, The Indian Code of Civil Procedure. The Indian Evidence Act and The Transfer of Property Act are the outcomes of the first four Law Commissions.

The Cabinet approves the reconstitution of the law panel for a period of three years. It is usually headed by a former Supreme Court judge or a former High Court chief justice.

In 2015, a proposal was mooted to make the law panel into a permanent body either through an Act of Parliament or an executive order (resolution of the Union Cabinet). The move was shelved after the Prime Minister’s Office felt that the current system should continue.

In 2010, the then UPA government had prepared a draft Cabinet note to give statutory status to the Law Commission, and the law ministry had mooted to bring the Law Commission of India Bill, 2010. But the idea was shelved.

Notes