Bridge between nations that have so much in common: VP on Kartarpur Corridor

Acknowledging the common origin shared by India and Pakistan, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said the opening of the Kartarpur corridor is a bridge between two countries that have "so much in common."

"This is a bridge between two countries that have so much in common. It opens new doors, a path that opens new possibilities," the Vice President said while addressing the gathering at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the corridor.

He also stated that the demand for setting up the corridor is over two decade old.

"It has been our long pending demand that Indian Sikh sisters and brothers should be able to visit Kartarpur site with ease. The demand for setting up the corridor has been raised for nearly two decades or more. This dream which was pending for long has got fulfilled today. This occasion has been made possible by Government of India's decision to build a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak-Karatarpur Sahib road to the international corridor on our side," Venkaiah Naidu said.

The Vice President also urged the Pakistan government to recognise the sentiments of Sikhs and build a corridor with necessary facilities.

"We urge the government of Pakistan to recognise the sentiments of the Sikh community in India and develop a corridor with facilities on their side so that our pilgrims from India can visit the Kartarpur Gurdwara throughout the year," he asserted.

The Vice President also took the occasion to make a veiled reference to Pakistan on the tenth anniversary of the deadly 26/11 Mumbai attacks. While stating that it was unfortunate that some people have made terrorism as their policy and are attacking innocent people, he said, "This, we will not tolerate. We cannot allow terrorism."

Naidu reiterated that terror is an enemy of humanity, and India, being a peace-loving country, only wants a peaceful existence. "Share and care is the core of Indian philosophy. We were one, all we want is peace and development. Whatever measures are needed for that will be taken by the government," he added.

The development of the corridor will facilitate lakhs of pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of river Ravi, in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years.