Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
Blueprint for peace corridor at Indo-Pak border | The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD), the US- based NGO is preparing a blueprint for a "peace corridor" between India and Pakistan in order to support the safe and easy passage of pilgrims to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is situated in Pakistan's Narowal District, where Guru Nanak spent more than 18 years of his life. Sikh pilgrims have been demanding a safe passage to the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib from Dera Baba Nanak for years. The Gurdwara is about four km from the Indian side where corridor is to be constructed. The NGO has currently
enrolled engineers, architects and businessmen from India, Pakistan and the United
States for this purpose. The IMTD is a non-profit organization founded in 1992
by Ambassador John W. McDonald and Dr. Louise Diamond to promote a systems-based approach to peace building. The IMTD believes that involving professionals would be practical steps in the construction of the corridor that would be a major step in the ongoing "Confidence Building Measures" (CBMs) between India and Pakistan. Surinder Singh, an engineer from USA, who visited the Indian side of Dera Baba
Nanak on Friday along with Anudeep Singh and his wife Surjit Kaur said
that with the help of other professional members of the committee they would prepare
a master plan of the "corridor". He said that he has already visited Pakistani
side and examined the viability of the proposed construction of the corridor.
It is pertinent to mention that more than 40 acres of land had already been purchased
near the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib with the help of foreign-based Sikhs, prominent
contributors being the American Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee, J. B. Singh of
USA and Ranjit Singh of Switzerland. Singh said that the idea is to promote a
religious corridor linking the Sikh holy sites across the Indo-Pak border, and
added that this "peace corridor" would help bridge the gulf between the peoples
of India and Pakistan Optimist Anudeep Singh, another member of the committee,
said that construction of the Kartarpur Corridor is a task that is of utmost importance
to the Sikh community and the dream of millions of people will turn into reality
soon. He said that to fulfil this dream the onus lies on leadership on India and
Pakistan who should come together for this issue. The Sikh diaspora has initiated
efforts on various levels to include the Gurdwara Kartarpur corridor in bilateral
talks between India and Pakistan. Anudeep Singh said that a number of representatives have already met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in this regard. In order to assist in the smooth transitioning of the project, the IMTD has formed a committee consisting of five members from India, six from the USA and five from Pakistan. From India Dr. Jairoop Singh, Vice Chancellor, Anudeep Singh, a businessman, B.S. Goraya a social activist,
Kuldeep Singh Wadala an activist for Kartarpur Langah committee. Renowned Pakistani
architect and former Chairman of the Institute of Architects in Pakistan, Syed
Azmat Ali Zaidi, will be the project director who will be responsible for implementing
the feasibility study from Pakistani side. Other members are engineer Surinder
Singh, Gurcharan Singh of the World Bank, Amar Singh Malhi, board member of the
Guru Nanak Foundation of America, and Avtar Singh Pannu, President of the NGO,
Sikhs for Justice are among the members of the committee. |
|
|
|
|
|