Public opinions contrast Political opinions over DGP Dinkar Gupta remarks

Recent remarks of Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta on Kartarpur Corridor have initiated a national security debate. Gupta stated on Friday that the corridor connecting India to Pakistan without a visa for pilgrimage purposes could be a security challenge.

[caption id="attachment_26080" align="alignleft" width="399"] DGP Dinkar Gupta[/caption]

This statement has led to a debate on whether the remarks of DGP are right or wrong. To know the ground- reality our media correspondents tried to communicate with locals of Punjab.

Jagjeet Singh, 43 of Amritsar stated that the Corridor is connected to the religious sentiments of many alike him around the world, but this does not mean that we should neglect the security of the people of Punjab and India as a whole.

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"Punjab is a bordering state, we have experienced terrorism for a long time and scars of which are still healing, people of Punjab no longer wants to undergo the same situation again, so we must not bewilder the security affair with the spiritual beliefs of people."

Singh also told that being a Sikh he wishes to visit the Dera Baba Nanak of Kartarpur Sahib Pakistan someday with his family, but the security of all must be placed first.

Harbans Singh 59, who is a farmer based in Jalandhar city, Punjab added, "Since partition, almost everyone in Punjab wants to visit the Lehnda Punjab (Term used of Punjab Pakistan), we all feel correlated to that place because several of our significant shrines were left behind in separation, after all these years and several encounters a lot of things have changed, conditions are not as same as they used to be,"

"Kartarpur Corridor is an easy way to visit Pakistan, even though you are not allowed to go outside, but others are allowed to enter the premises of the Gurdwara, which has made it much vulnerable to meet components which may not be suitable for our security and may result in major difficulty for all of us living in India," added Harbans.

"It is extremely hard to figure out why is Indian politics more concerned about religions other than the security of people itself, sometimes it gets annoying for people living here to understand what exactly is going on. Politicians immediately get together to show their aggression when it comes to religion but stay quiet when it necessary," added Jeevanjot Kaur, a 23-year-old college student from Patiala.

Moreover, Kaur stated that the politics on the name of religion must be stopped, and other issues must be raised. Kartarpur Corridor remains one of the significant paths for the pilgrim. At the same time, it is an easy way to enter Pakistan, which has unquestionably a number of people who can be damaging to us in all means.

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In the past few months, there has been a spurt in unsuccessful episodes from beyond the boundary to execute terror plans. Reoccurring attempts have been made to drop weapon payloads into Punjab using drones from Pakistan. The police have seized assault rifles, ammunition, satellite phones, drones and currency while a search operation is taken out following the arrest of three terror suspects.

Punjab's disturbances also derive out of the impending 'Khalistan Referendum 2020' mission, which apparently has the buttress of the ISI and radical outfits like Sikhs for Justice. Displays of 'Referedum 2020' and posters of slain Khalistan ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other in an official video by Pakistan has additionally expanded India's concerns on ISI plots.

Border state Punjab is already a victim of ‘narcotic terrorism’ by the access of Pakistan borderline. In the last few years, Punjab has suffered many terror attacks, including one by Pakistan militants at the strategic Air Force station in Pathankot. Numerous terror modules have been broken out amid apprehensions that Punjab was shifting into the new theatre of terror, after J&K.

[caption id="attachment_26083" align="alignnone" width="873"] Imran Khan at Kartarpur Corridor[/caption]

However, it is correct, that in recent years, there has been an escalation in the number of Sikh pilgrims touring Pakistan on significant religious events, and the Pakistan government had germinated steps to encourage more Sikh pilgrims, the opportunity of the Kartarpur Corridor is substantial, given that pilgrims can travel without a visa. But, the fear of national or regional security remains a major concern for the police in Punjab.

It can be observed that what people think about DGP Dinkar Gupta's recent remarks is totally opposite what politicians are raising it up to. There is no doubt that there could be another way to express the concerns over the current situation of Kartarpur Corridor and national security.

[caption id="attachment_26082" align="alignnone" width="1014"] Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara[/caption]