Will Pakistan Ride Kartarpur To Revive Sinister Call For Khalistan?

The basic tenet of secularism may well stress on the need to keep religion separate from politics. But in the subcontinent바카라�s contemporary history the two have inextricably linked, especially when it comes to India-Pakistan relations. On occ­­a­­sion, their mingling has created situations whose impact has been felt beyond the shores of South Asia.

As the hype and excitement over the opening of the Kartarpur corridor linking two holy Sikh shrines바카라�Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in India with Kar­t­arpur Sahib in Pakistan바카라�rise, so does concerns in the Indian establishment on whether this will provide yet another opportunity to Islamabad to play up the 바카라�Khalistan바카라� card. On its heels, another curious fact has surfaced: till date, no Sikh diplomat has been posted by India as its high commissioner in Pakistan. This has led some to speculate if this was due to lack of trust on the community.

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During the Khalistan movement and after the Indian Army바카라�s action on the Golden Temple, a sense of deep hurt had led some in the administration to express sympathies with the separatists. Therefore, are such decisions on postings mere happenstance or a well-thought-out policy?

바카라�It is a fact that no Sikh was ever posted to Islamabad as high commissioner,바카라� says former Indian diplomat Swashpawan Singh. 바카라�But I don바카라�t think it is by design,바카라� he adds. Former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal also explains, 바카라�Postings of diplomats have mos­tly been on the basis of an officer바카라�s competence and availability in the pool of the best talent suited for the post.바카라� He argues that postings in the Indian Foreign Service have never been on the basis of religion or ethnicity: 바카라�Whatever one may accuse the IFS of, it has never been accused of being a communal service.바카라�  

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Sikhs have held most important positions in India바카라�s political structure, ranging from president, prime min­­­­ister, finance minister, defence minister, foreign minister, are robustly represented in the armed for­ces and held top positions in mainstream political parties. The question of isolating them does not arise.

However, forever inimical to India바카라�s stability, Pakistan has actively used Sikh elements in Punjab and western countries to foment trouble within India and encourage the demand for a separate Khalistan.

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Much of New Delhi바카라�s current concern stems from the release of a video by Pakistan to mark the opening of the corridor. The short clip, released by Pakistan바카라�s information and broadcasting ministry, shows Sikh pilgrims visiting a Gurdwara in Pakistan, with a poster of three separatists, Bhindranwale, Major General Shabeg Singh and Amrik Singh Khalsa in the backdrop, with 바카라�Khalistan 2020바카라� written on it. All three were killed during the army바카라�s Operation Blue Star inside the Golden Temple complex in June 1984.

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Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh had raised concern that Pakistan may use the corridor to revive Sikh militancy. This view had also been supported by the Indian intelligence agencies, which have had reports of Pakistan actively trying to goad Khalistan elements based in the West to push for a referendum in support of a breakaway Sikh nation in 2020.

바카라�The Sikh community requested the passage to the sacred Kartarpur shrine for the past 70 years, but Pakistan바카라�s sudden decision to accept the demand indicates an ulterior motive, aimed at driving a wedge in the community by exploiting their religious sentiments,바카라� Amarinder told reporters.

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Punjab (along with Bengal) had borne the brunt of the subcontinent바카라�s sanguinary Partition바카라�millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were forced to migrate. The focus seems to be back on Punjab and the Sikhs.

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The Nankana Saheb Gurdwara, marking the birthplace of Guru Nanak and his final resting place, Kartarpur Saheb Gurdwara, are both in Pakistan, as are several other Sikh holy shrines. This gives Pakistan the opportunity of reaching out to Sikhs, in India and elsewhere, and to try and use them for anti-­Indian propaganda, especially through an insidious use of the separatist Khalistan movement.

The suggestion for a corridor, enabling pilgrims easy access to Kartarpur Sahib, had been made by India many years back, with successive governments in Delhi raising the issue with Islamabad. Paki­stan only got int­erested after Imran Khan came to power. However, as relations nosedived after the Pulwama terrorist attack and the retaliatory airstrike at terrorist targets by India deep inside Pakistan, the Kartarpur issue was put on the backburner.

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It was revived yet again by Islamabad when it realised that this could perhaps be offered as an olive branch to the Indian leadership바카라�a nudge towards the talks table, which they had shunned for several years.

But, as New Delhi made it clear that talks with Pakistan could only be limited to issues related to the corridor and not broadened into other areas unless Pakistan dismantles its terror apparatus, Islamabad lost interest.

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In the wake of India바카라�s decision on Article 370, a desperate Pakistan, clutching at every straw to discomfit India, seems to be reaching out to pro-Khalistan elements to foment trouble in Punjab.

India, however, is confident of dealing with the threat and, therefore, is in no mood to deny Sikh pilgrims a chance to visit Kartarpur Sahib.

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