Assessing the Impact of Kartarpur Corridor on India and Pakistan Relations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Religion is considered a soft corner for everyone despite their differences and beliefs. It contributes to building a more inclusive, peaceful, and respectful society where individuals can coexist harmoniously despite religious differences. The Kartarpur Corridor was mainly inaugurated for the Sikh pilgrims to visit their religious site in Pakistan and a platform to resolve the historic tensions between India and Pakistan. This thesis aims to uncover the concept whether religious peace building initiative Kartarpur Corridor ease the historic geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. Since the research was qualitative in nature, data was primarily collected through interviews with ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of interiors, ministry of religious and interfaith harmony, academicians, Sikh pilgrims and Kartarpur administration at Kartarpur Corridor. The conceptual framework of Confidence Building Measure is used to understand the importance of Kartarpur Corridor in the historically tensed relations between India and Pakistan. After an extensive thematic analysis of the interviews, the thesis yielded the following results: a) The Kartarpur Corridor is a positive development in the context of religious diplomacy, it does not fundamentally alter the geopolitical dynamics between Pakistan and India. b) It allows Indian Sikhs without a visa to visit the religious Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, it facilitates movement of Sikh people to a holy place and at the same time is symbolic of bilateral cooperation between India and Pakistan on religious grounds c) The separation of religion from politics is illustrated by how the Kartarpur Corridor demonstrates that religious freedom and pilgrimage can transcend political tensions, fostering cooperation and people-to-people connections. Hence, politics demands a broad perspective for resolution, as religion though useful in domestic relations cannot solve more significant political problems.