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The Kartarpur Corridor reunited two nonagenarians who were separated at the partition of India into two countries.

The two friends, Sardar Gopal Singh (94) from India and Muhammad Bashir (91), a resident of a village in Narowal, had got separated in 1947. They hugged each other having moist eyes when they saw each other after such a long time.

According to the sources at Kartarpur, Gopal Singh had crossed the border to perform religious rites at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib while Bashir also visited the gurdwara as a visitor.

The Indian Sikhs pilgrims and Pakistani visitors to the gurdwara who were present at the scene also expressed happiness at the meeting of two nonagenarians who were separated by the border.

The pilgrims from Pakistan, India and other countries congratulated the two friends. Both the old friends talked about the stories of their childhood and youth.

Gopal Singh said that before Pakistan was formed, both of them were in their early youth. Bashir said that even before the Partition, both the friends used to visit Baba Guru Nanak’s Gurdwara. They sat together at the lunch, ate food and had tea.

Gopal Singh expressed joy at the project of Kartarpur Corridor and thanked the government of Pakistan for it. At 5pm, Gopal Singh returned to India.

Originally published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2021