The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has urged the government of India to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and allow pilgrims from this side to visit the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan, one of the most sacred sites for Sikhs.
Satnam Singh Chahal, NAPA’s executive director, appealed to the Centre to reopen the visa-free corridor as a “sacred obligation to the (Sikh) community”.
The corridor was closed by India on May 7, 2025, after Operation Sindoor, which was India’s retaliation against Pakistan post the deadly Pahalgam massacre in April that killed 26 people.
Chahal pointed out on Saturday that Pakistan continues to keep its side of the corridor open, allowing pilgrims from around the world to visit the holy shrine. In contrast, the closure on the Indian side has left millions of Sikhs in the country “disheartened, spiritually disconnected, and deeply disappointed”, he said.
“The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a historic milestone symbolising peace, interfaith harmony, and the spiritual rights of Sikhs,” said Chahal.
“Its continued closure due to political or administrative reasons is not only unjustified but deeply hurtful to the sentiments of the Sikh community. The Indian government must rise above political considerations and prioritise the emotional and religious needs of the Sikh population,” he added.
The corridor’s opening is not only a logistics matter, he opined. “Kartarpur Sahib is not just a religious site; it is the spiritual heartbeat of every Sikh. Blocking access to such a sacred place is an affront to our collective faith and identity,” he said.
NAPA believes that reopening the corridor would not only uphold religious freedom but also foster goodwill, strengthen cross-border people-to-people ties, and promote regional peace, he said.
“NAPA expresses its sincere hope and confidence that the government of India will take prompt and positive action to restore access to Kartarpur Sahib for Indian Sikh devotees, ensuring they are able to fulfil their religious duties and seek spiritual solace without hindrance,” Chahal said.
The Kartarpur Sahib corridor was inaugurated in November, 2019, by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Sahib. It connects Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak in district Gurdaspur with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Pakistan, where the first Guru spent the last 18 years of his life.
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