Kartarpur, Nov. 15 -- Tears of joy mingled with expressions of gratitude as Sikhs flocked to a revered gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab province over the weekend. Alongside the festive spirit and the riot of colours that marked the opening of the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan, was also a fervent prayer among some of those gathered, that ties between the two neighbours will turn a corner. Their key apprehension was that any spike in tensions between the two countries could impact the corridor that has opened after seven decades of waiting.
The fear is not unfounded: People-to-people ties have almost always been the first casualty of India-Pakistan tensions, with New Delhi and Islamabad cutting off air and overland ...