Sikh Leader Urges PM Modi to Reopen Kartarpur Corridor and Allow Pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib

Strategic Insights -

Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the immediate revocation of orders stopping pilgrims from visiting Nankana Sahib in November on Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary, besides urging to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor in Dera Baba Nanak. The MP's letter comes at a time when the Indian government has advised states not to process applications for a Sikh jatha to Pakistan in November, citing security concerns. Randhawa argues that the decision to ban pilgrimage is a blow to the Sikh community and erodes trust between India and Pakistan.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurdaspur MP, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke the orders stopping pilgrims from visiting Nankana Sahib in November.
  • The MP argues that the decision to ban pilgrimage is a blow to the Sikh community and erodes trust between India and Pakistan.
  • Randhawa suggests that the Indian government can facilitate the movement of players for a cricket match against Pakistan but not the movement of peaceful pilgrims for darshan.
  • The MP urges the government to uphold the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, which has been honoured for decades, and to implement tighter security measures, including capped daily quotas and advanced online registration.
  • Randhawa asks the Prime Minister to convene a joint review with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Punjab government, SGPC, and representatives of recognised Sikh bodies to resolve the issue.
  • The MP suggests that the government should consider the sanctity of religious journeys and not treat them as a commercial spectacle.

Statistics:

  • According to Randhawa, the Indian government has advised states not to process applications for a Sikh jatha to Pakistan in November, citing security concerns.
  • The Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, signed in 1974, has been honoured for decades and allows for managed religious travel between India and Pakistan.
  • Randhawa suggests that the government implement capped daily quotas and advanced online registration as part of its security measures.
  • The Kartarpur Corridor has been closed since 2025 due to security concerns.

Sources:

  • Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dated September 16
  • The 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines
  • The Indian Express Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd. article, dated September 16, 2025 (permission obtained from Contify.com)