Bhagwant Mann Could Get Historic Welcome in Lahore If He Makes It to Punjabi Conference

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann could receive an extraordinary welcome if he visits Lahore for the Fourth International Punjabi Conference scheduled for November 27–29. But amid strained Pakistan-India relations, the prospect of his visit raises a bigger question: can shared language and culture overcome political barriers dividing the two Punjabs?

Speaking in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mann revealed that he had been invited to the conference but feared the Indian government would not allow him to travel to Pakistan. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan responded to it and expressed a desire to accompany him if Indian government granted him permission.

Mann also voiced his long-standing wish to visit Kartarpur with all members of the assembly if the Kartarpur Corridor reopened.

According to a BBC Urdu report, Punjabi activist and conference chief organiser Ahmad Raza Punjabi and renowned Punjabi poet Baba Najmi extended the invitation. Mann reportedly welcomed it but indicated that his participation would depend on an official invitation from the Punjab government in Pakistan. Efforts are said to be underway to facilitate his visit.

While his popularity in Indian Punjab is difficult to gauge, Mann enjoys considerable goodwill in Pakistani Punjab, where his appearance could become a landmark moment for cross-border cultural engagement. Whether he can actually make the trip, however, depends on political and diplomatic considerations, including travel permission from New Delhi and visa arrangements.

Bhagwant Mann recites Tajammul Kaleem: 

Mann’s remarks in the assembly were significant for another reason. He recited verses by the late Punjabi poet Tajammul Kaleem, bringing the literary heritage of Pakistani Punjab into the proceedings of the Indian Punjab legislature. Such a public acknowledgment of shared cultural roots is unusual in the current political climate.

The first two International Punjabi Conferences attracted numerous poets, artists, writers and other cultural figures from Indian Punjab. Participation subsequently stalled as relations between the two countries deteriorated, particularly following last year’s military confrontation.

Yet public affection for the other side has endured despite official hostility. Critics argue that political establishments on both sides benefit from sustaining mistrust, while ordinary Punjabis lose opportunities to reconnect with their common heritage.

The prolonged closure of the Kartarpur Corridor underscores the cost of this divide. Mann’s expressed desire to visit the historic Sikh shrine with fellow legislators should encourage both governments to reconsider restrictions and restore access.

His Lahore visit may remain a distant prospect. But the invitation itself offers a reminder that Punjab’s cultural bonds extend beyond borders and that political permission, rather than public goodwill, may be the greatest obstacle to bringing the two sides closer.