Pilgrims in a bind
Escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi are partly to blame for this state
Children enjoy at a local park on Eid holidays. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
Over the last couple of years, India has been making it harder than ever for its nationals to visit Pakistan. While escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi are partly to blame for this state of affairs, the Indian authorities appear to be increasingly uncomfortable with its citizens undertaking pilgrimages to Pakistan. This year the Pakistan High Commission issued some 300 odd visas to Sikh pilgrims so that they could attend the 178th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. Such trips are hardly rare and have been taking place every year without a break for as long as one can remember. On Wednesday, authorities in Delhi stopped the Sikh pilgrims from proceeding to Lahore from the Attari border. Their apparent excuse was that the security environment in Pakistan was not conducive to such travel.
The action was greeted with a demonstration by the Sikh pilgrims who were supposed to travel aboard a special train sent by Pakistan. The would-be visitors pointed out that they had never encountered any trouble in Pakistan where they were provided both hospitality and foolproof security.
This is not the first time that Pakistan has pulled out all the stops for the benefit of Sikh pilgrims. Earlier this month a special train was commissioned to bring the pilgrims stranded at Attari train station to Pakistan for the Jor Mela.
Cross-border religious tourism has dipped despite the existing bilateral agreement between the governments of India and Pakistan. And it will take a lot more than protests, appeals and diplomatic reminders to reverse the trend. By not seizing the opportunities that cross-border religious tourism offers, India is turning its back on economic fruits and also limiting interaction between peoples of two otherwise hostile nations. Such a policy is borne out of distrust and is destined to keep tensions simmering indefinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2017.
Over the last couple of years, India has been making it harder than ever for its nationals to visit Pakistan. While escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi are partly to blame for this state of affairs, the Indian authorities appear to be increasingly uncomfortable with its citizens undertaking pilgrimages to Pakistan. This year the Pakistan High Commission issued some 300 odd visas to Sikh pilgrims so that they could attend the 178th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. Such trips are hardly rare and have been taking place every year without a break for as long as one can remember. On Wednesday, authorities in Delhi stopped the Sikh pilgrims from proceeding to Lahore from the Attari border. Their apparent excuse was that the security environment in Pakistan was not conducive to such travel.
The action was greeted with a demonstration by the Sikh pilgrims who were supposed to travel aboard a special train sent by Pakistan. The would-be visitors pointed out that they had never encountered any trouble in Pakistan where they were provided both hospitality and foolproof security.
This is not the first time that Pakistan has pulled out all the stops for the benefit of Sikh pilgrims. Earlier this month a special train was commissioned to bring the pilgrims stranded at Attari train station to Pakistan for the Jor Mela.
Cross-border religious tourism has dipped despite the existing bilateral agreement between the governments of India and Pakistan. And it will take a lot more than protests, appeals and diplomatic reminders to reverse the trend. By not seizing the opportunities that cross-border religious tourism offers, India is turning its back on economic fruits and also limiting interaction between peoples of two otherwise hostile nations. Such a policy is borne out of distrust and is destined to keep tensions simmering indefinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2017.