Those Slamming Sidhu’s Visit to Pakistan May Be Doing Him a Favour

Navjot Singh Sidhu was heavily criticised especially in New Delhi, for attending Imran Khan’s swearing-in.

Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Arnica Kala / The Quint)

Former cricketer and Minister for Culture and Tourism of Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu, had to face the ire of many, for attending Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony.

Days after cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan emerged victorious, Sidhu said he had accepted an invitation to attend the former’s oath-taking event. Sidhu also said that he would raise issues pertaining to Punjab, especially the demand for the Kartarpur Corridor, which seeks to connect Dera Baba Nanak (a city in Punjab, India) with Darbar Sahib, Narowal (Kartarpur) (both are barely three kilometres from each other). Through this corridor, Sikhs can get visa-free access to the religious shrine for Sikhs at Kartarpur.

Revival of Bid for Kartarpur Corridor

The first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev (whose 550th birth anniversary is being commemorated in 2019), spent the last few years of his life at Kartarpur, and for nearly two decades, religious groups from Punjab and large sections of the Sikh diaspora have been lobbying for the cause. While in May 2018, a senior Pakistani diplomat stated that Pakistan was open to such an arrangement, in May 2017, Shashi Tharoor visited Dera Baba Nanak to understand the demand. So far, India has said that such a corridor will not be possible due to security constraints. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh however, stated that he will write to the Ministry of External Affairs to go ahead with the corridor, for at least a few days, during Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary celebrations.

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Sidhu received a very rousing reception in Pakistan, and drew a lot of media attention, since he was the only prominent face from the Indian side, to attend Imran Khan’s swearing-in apart, apart from Vikram Mehta, Current Chairman of Brookings India, and friend of Imran’s from their Oxford days.

At Imran’s oath taking, Sidhu was seated next to PoK President, Masood Khan, and he also met with Pakistan Army Chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa. Sidhu’s hug with Bajwa was heavily criticised from sections of the Indian media. It is not just the BJP, but even Captain Amarinder Singh who has condemned Sidhu’s hug.

Sidhu’s ‘Hugplomacy’

At a press conference held at Islamabad on 18 August 2018, Sidhu, speaking about his conversation with General Bajwa stated:

“Without my asking, I received this precious gift. Gen Bajwa hugged me and said they were thinking of opening the Kartarpur route during Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary celebrations. I had been thinking that our chief minister (Captain Amarinder Singh) would take this up with Pakistan, but the General made this gracious gesture on his own. He also said they want peace.”

Bajwa, who for some time has been pushing for improved ties with Pakistan, also stated that he wanted peace with India. It remains to be seen whether Bajwa really means what he says.

One point is certain, Sidhu’s pitch for better ties between India and Pakistan, and his thrust on better Punjab-Punjab (Indian and Pakistani sides) relations will help in elevating his stature in Indian Punjab. A former MP from Amritsar (from the BJP), and currently an MLA from Amritsar, Sidhu has a strong support base in the Majha belt (often used to describe the border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur. Pre-Partition Punjab also included Lahore).

The only land crossing for trade with Pakistan, is located in Majha, (Attari – which is on the outskirts of Amritsar). The fact that Sidhu raised the Kartarpur issue which is dear to Sikhs not just in Punjab, but the world over, will also burnish his ‘Panthic credentials’.

Way Forward for India-Pakistan

So far, Sidhu who began his career on a BJP ticket may have been a vote catcher due to his celebrity status, but he certainly wasn’t perceived to have strong Panthic credentials.

In his previous tenure (2002-2007) as Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, by raising issues such as renovation of historical Sikh shrines in Pakistan, as well as issues related to Sikh pilgrims, had gained immense goodwill within the Sikh community.

Delhi-based commentators who have condemned Sidhu’s trip to Pakistan as well as his hug with Bajwa may have inadvertently done Navjot Singh Sidhu a favour, and have paved the way for him becoming the future Chief Minister of Punjab, considering the favour his move won with Sikhs in the state.

Also, some commentators and media personalities may feel, that Punjab can be bypassed (many blame Punjabi nostalgia for the excessive obsession with Pakistan) in the context of India-Pakistan ties. They forget, the imperatives (economic and non-economic for East Punjab's desire for better relations with Islamabad.

(Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi based policy analyst associated with The Jindal School of International Affairs, OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat. He tweets @tridiveshsingh. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)