**5. Conclusions**

Since the partition in 1947, generations of Sikhs across the globe have been praying for open access to historical sites in Pakistan. From losing access to historical sites in Pakistan to decades-long activism, the Sikh community remained resilient. While thousands of Sikhs died praying for the moment these prayers would be answered, the uncertain political dynamic between Pakistan and India continues to be a serious concern. For the two countries, the opening of the corridor was a political and/or economic move as it serves as a tool for both governments to control pilgrimage and attract tourists. Meanwhile, for the global Sikh community, this supersedes all matters of politics and economics as it is an opportunity for unrestricted access to some of their most historical sites. Sikhs in the diaspora have been more invested in preserving and maintaining historical Sikh sites in Pakistan than the Indian and Pakistani governments. On multiple occasions, diasporic Sikhs have opened lines of communication with both governments, but the political tensions never allowed anything to

come to fruition. Although the friendship between the cricketers-turned-politicians across the border deserves credit for o fficially opening the Kartarpur Corridor, friendships and agreements between the neighboring countries struggle to remain as politicians come and go. Khan's "first big opposition as the Prime Minister" came following the Kartarpur Corridor (SNS Web 2019). Maulana Fazlur Rehman, president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) political party, accused Khan of allowing the corridor to happen while India handed over the Babri Mosque to Hindus while a leader of the Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz and an ally of Rehman, Ahsan Iqbal, called Khan's move to allow Indians to enter without a passport a huge mistake (BR Web Desk 2019; Press Trust of India 2019c). Meanwhile, in India, Sidhu has been criticized for his relationship with Khan. A spokesperson for the current ruling political party of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party, condemned Sidhu for his remarks praising Khan, claiming it was an attempt to place Khan on a higher pedestal than India (Press Trust of India 2019a). However, the criticism for Sidhu was not limited to the opposition political party and non-Sikhs. Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab, and Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab cabinet minister, both criticized Sidhu on his dealings with Khan and Pakistan on separate occasions (Hindustan Times Correspondent 2019; Sethi 2019). Not only are Khan and Sidhu facing criticism for their decision, but individuals from both sides have ulterior motives for the corridor. With the ongoing attack on the Indian Muslim population, whether in Kashmir or through legislation such as the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Indian governmen<sup>t</sup> aims to not only secure the Sikh votes but also continue to please the Sikh community with the corridor. Meanwhile, the corridor helps Pakistan boost its economy through religious tourism while potentially being able to support the Khalistan movement. Throughout the entire process, as politicians and media outlets across the border continue to criticize the other's motives, the importance of access to historical heritage sites for the Sikh community is undermined. The "bridge of peace" may be temporary as the project was completely isolated. Therefore, with the ongoing tensions and any upcoming elections, the Kartarpur Corridor continues to be held hostage by the uncertainty of politics between India and Pakistan. What we know for certain is that the threat of closing the corridor due to political tensions may always remain, but so will the drive of the global Sikh community to keep these sites intact and accessible.

#### **Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Acknowledgments:** I am grateful to Gurcharanjit Singh Attariwala and his daughter, Parmela, who shared Attariwala's journey with me to present at the UC Riverside International Sikh Studies Conference in 2019. Before this conference, not much was known about the role of diasporic Sikhs in preserving Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur. Since the conference in 2019, Attariwala has continued to share stories with me about his work in preserving Darbar Sahib. I am also thankful to Gurcharan Singh Bhuchar, Harbans Lal, Amardeep Singh, and Dalvir Singh Pannu for speaking to me about their work which allowed me to capture a better image of the work done by diasporic Sikhs.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The author declares no conflict of interest.

**Dedication:** I dedicate this article to my Nana Ji (maternal grandfather), Charan Singh "Sangatpura", the prominent Sikh leader from Hong Kong and member of the Sri Nankana Sahib Foundation mentioned in the article. He dedicated his life to the Sikh community and worked on many di fferent causes including the yatras (pilgrimages) to Pakistan. For decades, Nana Ji did ardas for khule darshan didar. Unfortunately, like countless others, he was unable to see the ardas fulfilled. I felt it was only appropriate to preserve his story and acknowledge the numerous sevadars who worked behind the scenes for decades, paving the road for future generations. Far too often, these sevadars are excluded from the dominant narratives. Thank you to all of those sevadars.
