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Sikhs demand justice, rights protection in J&K in an Open Letter to PM
Jammu Tawi, April 20:
Sikh Progressive Front (SPF) urged the Prime Minister of India to intervene for ensuring justice to Sikh community in Jammu Kashmir that it said has been at the receiving end.
The SPF, a conglomerate of various Sikhs bodies, in an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister, while welcoming his Government's many well-meaning and warm-hearted steps towards Sikhs as a whole, like opening of Kartarpur Corridor, Scraping black list of 312 Sikh youths languishing abroad for several years and lifting of GST on Langar, worldwide celebration of 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, sporting the farmers by taking back the three farmer laws and recent decision regarding of celebration of 400th Birth Anniversary Srti Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib at Lal Qila, invited his attention towards few genuine demands which, they said is pending at Raj Bhawan level for the last two years.
SPF demanded inclusion of Sikhs of Kashmir, who have not migrated despite all odds, as non-migrant Kashmiris for availing the benefits under the PM's Special Employment Packages and AICTE Notification; representation of Sikh Community in Judiciary, Executives, JKPSC, JKSSB, Universities and Institutes of academic/technical excellence and higher Education that sans the presence of Sikh Community; Government Jobs, restoring official language status to Punjabi language in J&K; Naming Kunjwani Chowk in the name of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur despite JMC resolution; extending true spirit of National Minority Commission to JKUT; Punishment to the culprits of 1989 anti-Sikh riots and relief to its victims; implementation of Anand Marriage Act etc.
Expressing hope, the open letter signed by SPF president, Balvinder Singh, SPF recalled the statement of the Prime Minister few days ago on occasion of Book release “Modi & His Govt's Special relations with Sikhs”, wherein the Prime Minister had said that his government would work to protect the rights of the Sikhs of Jammu Kashmir UT.
