�鶹��

Available for over a year

Good morning. Tensions between India and Pakistan have flared following a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir just a week ago. Over 40 members of the Indian security forces were killed in the terrorist attack, and the Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility. The Indian Prime Minister has accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists and wanting to destabilise India, whilst Pakistan’s PM said that his country is ready to react if India takes any military action against it. Some fear the bellicose rhetoric could bring the two nuclear powers to the brink of conflict. And yet in the midst of this escalation, officials in the adjacent region of Punjab which also straddles both countries are talking about building a bridge both metaphorically and literally between India and Pakistan, and allowing visa free travel in the area for the first time in over half a century. The reason for this is their mutual affection and respect for Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith whose 550th birth anniversary is being celebrated later this year. Punjab is the historic homeland of the Sikh community, and when Partition took place in 1947, many important sites linked to Sikh history found themselves on the Pakistani side of the border, including Guru Nanak’s birthplace and a gurdwara built in Kartarpur on the spot where the Guru died. For decades, Indian Sikhs have travelled to the border to catch a glimpse of that gurdwara across the river through binoculars and pray for the chance to visit it someday. It seems those prayers are finally being answered, with the first ever bridge to connect the two Punjabs scheduled to open in time for the 550th birth celebrations in November. The discussions about pilgrims travelling across the border to specifically visit this gurdwara without a visa would have been undreamt of even a few months ago. Guru Nanak has been revered for centuries by Punjabis of all faiths and backgrounds. He actively encouraged dialogue between people of different religions, and never considered anyone to be beyond the ability to sit down and talk as equals. In Pakistan, he is still referred to as Baba or ‘Father’ Nanak, out of respect for his universal message, and several media outlets have given what is known as the Kartarpur Corridor project the nickname of the ‘corridor of peace’. In one of his verses, Guru Nanak says “As one inspired by the Almighty, look upon all with the single eye of equality; in each and every heart, the Divine Light is contained.” It’s the idea that we are all imbued with the same spirit, the same humanity, and that we should never forget that. Even in these most difficult times, I find it heartening that Guru Nanak’s life continues to give glimmers of hope to those who want peace to prevail in the region where he was born.