• India and Pakistan have agreed to renew their agreement to operate Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for an additional five years, facilitating Indian pilgrims’ visits to the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. 

• The original agreement, signed on October 24, 2019, was valid for five years. 

• This renewal reflects an ongoing commitment to the corridor, which was originally established as a Confidence Building Measure during former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tenure.

• The extension will ensure uninterrupted operations until 2029, allowing Indian pilgrims to visit this significant Sikh shrine located in Narowal, Pakistan.

• Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was inaugurated to provide easy access for Sikh pilgrims to the Gurdwara, where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent his last years.

• The Kartarpur Corridor is a significant passage connecting the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal district, Pakistan, with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, India’s Punjab province. 

• The corridor allows for visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who only need a permit to cross into Pakistan. This facilitates easier access to one of the holiest sites in Sikhism.

• The corridor was inaugurated on November 12, 2019, to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. 

The issue of $20 service fee

• Despite the positive outcome of the agreement’s renewal, India was unable to convince Pakistan to eliminate the $20 service fee imposed on each pilgrim. This fee has been a point of contention, with Indian officials arguing that it should be removed to ease access for pilgrims. 

• Pakistan maintains that the fee is necessary to recover costs associated with the corridor’s infrastructure, which includes refurbishing the Gurdwara, building access roads, and providing transportation for pilgrims from the Indian border. 

Guru Nanak Dev

• Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Katak, honoring the birth of Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539). 

• He is revered for his teachings and contributions to Sikh philosophy and practices.

• Guru Nanak advocated the ‘Nirguna’ form of devotion, emphasizing a personal connection with the divine without reliance on rituals or images. 

• He rejected practices such as sacrifices, ritual baths, and austerities prevalent in both Hinduism and Islam.

• He established rules for congregational worship, known as sangat, which involved collective recitation and community engagement in spiritual practices.

• Guru Nanak appointed his disciple Angad as his successor, establishing a lineage of spiritual leadership that continued for nearly 200 years.

• The fifth Guru, Guru Arjan, compiled the hymns of Guru Nanak and his four successors, along with those of other spiritual poets like Baba Farid, Ravidas (Raidas), and Kabir into the Adi Granth. 

• The hymns, known as ‘Gurbani’, are composed in various languages, reflecting a diverse cultural heritage.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)