Kartarpur: Minister sees ‘opportunity’, warns on ‘ground realities’

Attari (Punjab): Union Minister of State Hardeep Puri on Wednesday said there was an “opportunity and goodwill” in the decision of the Indian and Pakistani governments to build the Kartarpur Corridor, but sounded a note of caution: “We have to be acutely conscious of the ground realities” in the two nations. “This is a historic day. This is a long standing demand of the Sikh community. At least, what I know, since 1994-95, we have been making this demand,” Puri, who walked across to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah check post, around 30 km from Amritsar, along with Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, told the media before leaving. “This decision is anchored in hope and goodwill. But we have to be acutely conscious of the ground realities.

“And the ground realities are that the two countries, on account of a lot of factors, house distrust. “We have felt for very long that we have been at the receiving end of actions of a country which should not have allowed certain forces on their territory. I don’t want to touch on those now,” Puri said.

The Minister made it clear that he was not going for any bilateral discussions with Pakistan. “I am not carrying any bilateral brief. But equally, if the ground-breaking ceremony and these atmospherics is done in a positive way and we are able to invoke the Guru Maharaj’s blessings, I am sure that it will become a stepping stone to positive things happening in the future,” he said.

Also read: Pakistan Hails India’s Decision to Build Kartarpur Corridor