In a sporadic incident, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed and praised his counterpart PM Imran Khan for leading the Kartarpur Corridor project, realizing the decades-long pending wish of Sikh communities residing on both sides of the border.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Integrated Check Post of the Kartarpur Corridor, the Indian PM thanked the Pakistani PM for respecting the sentiments of Sikh devotees. “I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan Niazi, for respecting the sentiments of India,” Modi said.
Indian PM Modi Thanks Prime Minister Imran Khan for historic step of opening Kartarpur corridor. pic.twitter.com/edFNgQnQHg
— 🇵🇰 🇹🇷🇹علی خان پی ٹی ائی🇵🇰🇹🇷 (@alikhan221022) November 9, 2019
Meanwhile, the right-wing ruling party, BJP government expresses joy and support for the Sikh community, the Indian government could not resist displaying its bigotry and playing retaliatory acts against Pakistan. Imran Khan’s friend, Navjoth Singh Sidhu, a close aide of Imran Khan in realizing the Kartarpur Corridor project was subjected to severe dissension in India from opposition parties and right-wing Hindu nationalist elements ever since he returned from PM Khan’s sworn in ceremony.
Sidhu, a former Indian cricketer, a Congress legislator, & a staunch supporter of PM Khan in India, had requested the PM Khan to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims.
Read more: Kartarpur Corridor Inauguration: Navjot Singh Sidhu Will Be Issued Pakistani Visa
Following verbal slurs throughout the process of Kartarpur Corridor construction, his attendance for Kartarpur Corridor’s inauguration was purportedly delayed after he was denied entry by Indian security forces to Pakistan from Wagah Border despite having a visa for Pakistan. He was directed to reach Pakistan through Kartarpur. He, however, reached Kartarpur within time before the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor.
While Pakistan spearheaded a peace initiative with India amid severe Kashmir crisis. Certain sections are adamant to sabotage peace initiatives of Pakistan. A recent article published in the RSS-loyalist magazine arguing against Kartarpur Corridor initiative and chalking out a vehement expansionist plan for India to annex Kartarpur into India, make it a part of India.
Indian Media’s War-Mongering Rhetoric
An analytical piece remarked that instead of flourishing peace process with Pakistan, it turned to regressive tactics to demoralize not only Pakistan but also the Sikh community. The former editor of RSS magazine, Seshadri Chari, suggested a nefarious plan to de-track the peace initiative. He proposed a two-pronged approach to Hindu hardline, BJP, which will only lead to a military confrontation between Pakistan and India.
He said that the Indian government should constitute a strategic group that should devise an immediate plan to frustrate Pakistan’s attempt to revive the Khalistan movement through ‘Referendum 2020‘ by pushing militants through the corridor. Second, the group must work on a long-term, fool-proof plan to obtain the control of Kartarpur Sahib and make it a part of Indian Punjab, as it was before partition 1947.
Read more: Politicking over Kartarpur Corridor: India Accuses Pakistan of “Making Business out of Religion”
It also noted that Indian CM Punjab Capt Arminder Singh, who has accompanied the first delegation of Sikh devotees, had accused Pakistan Army and ISI of the opening of Kartarpur Corridor.
The Indian’s bigotry was carry forwarded by several Indian journalists like Barkha Dutt and Geeta Mohan from India Today did not desist from releasing bigot tweets against Pakistan. Indian journalists despite traveling Pakistan and enjoying its hospitality continued to spew hateful and war-mongering agenda of Indian media, the biggest ally of PM Modi, who is the biggest investor to India media.
More breaking :After bringing up Kashmir @SMQureshiPTI lashes out personally at PM @narendramodi, when I push to ask why the Kashmir shadow over #Kartarpur. I press ahead to say Kartarpur would not be possible without the cooperation of PM Modi, so why the personal slur. pic.twitter.com/4fb46wSFyi
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) November 8, 2019
Barkha Dutt, the Indian journalist, and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were seen at daggers drawn at directing criticism towards India PM Modi. Dutt argued that calling out PM Modi is equivalent to insulting the entire Indian nation.
On the other hand, journalist Geeta Mohan released an image of the board displaying the Indian bomb from the 1971 war, provoking hateful sentiments among Indians.
But despite, countless obstruction imposed by India, the Kartarpur Corridor initiative will see daylight today on November 9th.