Imran Khan’s Googly on Kartarpur Stumps Modi Government

Having been upstaged by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, the sarkari media has made cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu their pet hate. Recall that it was Sidhu who came back from Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony in August to announce that Pakistan Army Chief, Lt Gen Qamar Bajwa, had said that his country was ready to allow Sikh pilgrims to travel to Pakistan and pray at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. This got drowned in a controversy over the cricketer and Congress Minister from Punjab, photographed hugging Bajwa. Every vile adjective was thrown at Sidhu for this embrace.

Not one to keep quiet, Sidhu defended himself vociferously. Now that he has been vindicated, he is still being condemned for other transgressions. But for Sidhu and the Sikhs of India, what is important is the fact that Sikh pilgrims will have access to one of their holiest shrines, something that they had been denied for decades. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, is said to have died in Kartarpur in the 16th century and had spent the last years there.

Now, a fresh controversy has erupted around the Punjab Minister’s actions during the ground-breaking ceremony. One English television channel even went on to say that Sidhu was a security threat to India. By doing so, these ultra-nationalist anchors and television talk show hosts are demeaning India. Sidhu posing in pictures with Gopal Chawla, said to be a pro-Khalistan activist, praising friend Imran Khan for his generosity and exchanging pleasantries Bajwa, are all being dubbed as a threat to Indian security.

The truth, however, is that Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan has got the better of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, beating him at his own game. Modi is a master in event management. But this time, Khan’s googly had Modi and the Indian establishment stumped. By unilaterally declaring that Pakistan was ready to start work on the Kartarpur corridor was a master stroke. Invitations were sent out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and of course to Sidhu.

Swaraj pleaded previous engagements and opted out. The Punjab chief minister, who had blamed Pakistan for the recent Amritsar blasts and is on the same page as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Pakistan,  also declined the invitation. Instead, Singh was there to welcome Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who was laying the foundation stone on the Indian side of the Kartarpur corridor in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.

The Indian government, keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the Sikh community, was in no position to say ‘no’ to Pakistan. Considering that national elections are round the corner, the BJP government cannot afford to take such a risk. The decision to send two junior Sikh ministers, Hardeep Singh Puri and Harsimrat Kaur Badal, to Pakistan was done to signal that the Modi government supported Khan’s move.

The partition of India had deprived Indian Sikhs access to one of their holiest gurdwaras in Kartarpur. It was a long-held demand of Indian Sikhs to get Pakistan to allow for the faithful to be able to visit the place. In February 1988, late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also raised this issue with the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, when he took a bus to Lahore in a major move at peace-making. But there was no progress, as the Kargil war put a stop to all such initiatives.

The gurudwara in Pakistan is just about four kilometers from the Indian border, but strained relations between the two countries had made it difficult for Sikh pilgrims to make the journey, who had to be content with watching the shrine with binoculars.

The Kartarpur corridor will lead from the Indian border straight to the gurdwara, with the sides fenced off. Pakistan hopes to complete the facilities in time for worshippers this time next year, when Guru Nanak will complete 550 years since his birth in 1469. But, the details will need to be worked out carefully by the two governments, on whether to introduce visas and put security arrangements in place.

Imran Khan’s decision on Kartarpur is being seen as a move at building bridges with India and has been appreciated across the world.  It is also an attempt to change the narrative of Pakistan being a ‘sponsor of terror’. The new Pakistan Prime Minister, obviously with the backing of the Army (Bajwa was present in Kartarpur), says he is hoping to reset ties with India.

"I am saying today, that our political leaders, our Army, and all other institutions are all on one page. We wish to move forward, we want a civilised relationship. We have just one problem, Kashmir. If a man can walk on the moon, what problems are there that we cannot resolve?" Khan said in his speech in Kartarpur.

But, the very mention of the K word, riled a petulant Indian government. Delhi, looking for an opportunity to hit back, came out hard on Pakistan. The Externalk Affairs Ministry spokesman had this to say, “It is deeply regrettable that the Prime Minister of Pakistan chose to politicise the pious occasion meant to realise the long pending demand of the Sikh community to develop Kartarpur corridor by making unwarranted reference to Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral and inalienable part of India’’  The statement went on to talk about Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism and its international obligations to work against terror outfits.

While it is fine to keep working on Pakistan to act against terror groups, this cannot be done by refusing to talk. Swaraj has also made it clear that talks and terror don’t go together and Delhi had not changed its mind on the SAARC summit in Pakistan. Possibly, there is no question of a dialogue with Pakistan till after Indian elections.

Blowing hot and cold has been the hallmark of Modi’s Pakistan policy. And India’s approach to Imran Khan’s peace initiative can best be described as muddled.  While taking a cautious approach is understandable, petulance is uncalled for.  The Kartarpur corridor is a small but symbolic first step at peace. It is being welcomed by people on both sides of the border. This round goes to Imran Khan.

(Seema Guha is a senior journalist who has been covering foreign policy for decades. The views expressed are personal).