India’s BSF blocks Sikh prayers at Zero Line, denies Kartarpur access
Chandigarh: The Indian government’s continued closure of the Kartarpur Corridor and restrictions on Sikh devotees seeking to pray at the Zero Line have triggered renewed concerns over religious freedom and people-to-people connectivity between India and Pakistan.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday stopped a Sikh jatha led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj from reaching the Zero Line at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, where Sikh devotees from India and Pakistan had planned a special ardas for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor.
The Jathedar and devotees subsequently sat in protest near the BSF barricades and performed Rehras Sahib, shabad kirtan and ardas, praying for the early reopening of the corridor and peace between India and Pakistan. The Pakistani Sikh sangat also held prayers on the other side of the border.
The Sikh delegation had sought permission to approach the Zero Line to hand over Rumala Sahib for Sri Guru Granth Sahib and siropas for the Panj Piaras to the Pakistani Sikh devotees participating in a nagar kirtan from Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur.
Giani Gargaj condemned the restriction, saying, “Since Independence, a line has been drawn but Sikhs cannot be denied from visiting their shrines that were left across the border line.”
BSF Punjab Frontier Inspector General Atul Fulzele, however, said the devotees could not be granted access to the actual Zero Line under security protocols.
The episode has again brought into focus the continuing closure of the Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free religious passage inaugurated in November 2019 connecting Dera Baba Nanak with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan, one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines and the place where Guru Nanak Dev spent the final years of his life.
The corridor has remained closed for more than a year following India’s May 2025 military operation, with the closure drawing criticism from Sikh religious bodies.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) formally demanded its reopening in a resolution passed in March, saying the continued closure had deeply hurt Sikh religious sentiments.
The Akal Takht Jathedar has announced that he will visit Dera Baba Nanak every month with Sikh devotees to offer prayers for the reopening of the corridor, underscoring the continuing demand for unrestricted access to the sacred shrine.
