Kuldeep Singh Wadala, who offered prayers for 17 years for opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, had a strong belief that the passageway would open one day. Come November 9, his dream will finally be come true.
Wadala, a former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Nakodar, Punjab, had started performing 'ardas' (prayers) near the India-Pakistan border in 2001. He used to offer prayers every month at the Dera Baba Nanak border for 17-long years, his son Gurpartap Singh Wadala said.
The former MLA had even gone to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, around 2004-05 and had carried out repair work of the historic Sikh shrine with the support of some non-resident Indians (NRIs), his son told PTI on Friday.
Kuldip Wadala had even submitted a memorandum to the then Pakistan prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, for the opening of the corridor, according to Gurpartap Wadala.
"Prayers of my father have been answered now as the Kartarpur Corridor is going to be a reality on Saturday," his son said. "He offered prayers for 208 times for the opening of corridor without any gap."
"I wish my father should have been there to witness this historic event," said the sitting Akali legislator, whose father passed away last year. "We are happy that my father could also contribute through his prayers for the opening of corridor."