Sikhs demand minority status and reservation for Assembly seats in J&K:DKSC
Jammu:- Displaced Kashmiri Sikhs conference president S.Harmohinder Singh has demanded reservation of four Assembly seats and minority status in J and K union territory. While speaking to the reporters today, he asserted the central government had assured the Sikh community time and again that their genuine demands will be met shortly but unfortunately the central government and those who are at the helm of affairs had no time to heal the wounds of microscopic Sikhs in JandK union territory.
Harmohinder Singh made an appeal to the honorable Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah to create conditions for implementation of jurisdiction of national commission for minorities over J and K before the forthcoming delimitation of constituencies and other rules to be implemented under (re-organization of j& k state vide presidential /parliament order of 5-8- 2019).
Mr. Singh said that under the Charter of (United Nation organization) UNO The member countries have been directed including India on December 18, 1992 that all the states to protect the existence of national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and create conditions for the protection and promotion of their identity.
Harmohinder Singh emphatically said India too adhered to the charter of UNO under the banner of National Commission for minorities (NCM). The commission is functioning in 22 states of India except J&K UT. Now special status (ART.370) of the erstwhile state has come to an end. Central government has free hand and sufficient powers to implement (NCM) national commission for minorities for beleaguered Sikh minority as far as ameliorating their lot is considered.
Mr. Singh told the reporters That keeping in view the unique topography of Jammu and Kashmir and different political ideologies of the people of two regions of union territory and religious minorities the reservation of constituencies is imperative for Sikhs in 4 assembly segments.viz Gandhinagar, Ranbir Singh Pura in Jammu division and Baramulla, Tral in Kashmir division on the same pattern and analogy of schedule caste (SC) category for whom 7 seats are already reserved in Jammu division of Union territory.
Harmohinder Singh asserted again that there are 3.25 lakhs Sikhs in the U T who are scattered in all 83 constituencies and due to which they remain in political vacuum as well as unrepresented cannot get their genuine demands redressed politically .Now it has become mandatory to reserve 4 seats to bring succor to sikhs under J&K Representation representation of peoples Act.
Before partition of India the J and K had provision of reservation but after the Annexation with India that practice became non fructuous.
Mr. Singh exhorted the people in general and Sikhs in particular to rise to the occasion and forge Unity among themselves irrespective of their party affiliations and regional aspirations come under one banner to achieve the goal for implementation of National commission for minorities and four constituencies reserved otherwise they will miss the bus and will repent for centuries. Sikh community has suffered a lot since 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1990 till date at the hands of Forces inimical to coexistence of various ethnic groups he added.
President Harmohinder hoped that the central government and new dispensation in the union territory will grant many sops to ethnic groups,deprived minorities and displaced people of POJK(Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir) who persistently spearheaded the struggle.
Those who attended the meeting are S.Mangat singh Sadwani, S.Jaswant singh Hotamara, T.P.Singh, S.Angad singh Karan nagri, Abhijeet Singh and others.
