Sikh asks J&K Politicos to speak up on tricked conversions, allay fears among minorities
The Sikh delegation also met Jammu & Kashmir director general of police (DGP), Dilbag Singh, with regards to this situation. Sirsa tweeted the following after holding the meeting:
Met up with Dilbag Singh, DGP, @JmuKmrPolice w.r.t issue of Sikh girls' forceful conversion. He assured us Si… https://t.co/OQEnMBmZsK
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) 1624883428000
Earlier in the day, MS Sirsa also tweeted about his tele-conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in regard to the kidnapping and forcible conversion:
Just had a tele-conversation with Home Min @AmitShah Ji w.r.t to the issue of Sikh girls forcibly married & convert… https://t.co/ijNYUMNqzC
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) 1624862108000
Following the conversion and marriage of the young girl with an old man, the Sikh community in Srinagar held strong protests on Saturday night demanding the custody of the girl, who was allowed to meet her parents after the administration got involved in the matter.
However, the whereabouts of the second girl is still unknown and the police claim that no case has been filed by the community.
Sources in Srinagar told that the first girl's custody has been given to the Sikh community. Following protocol, she is still not with her parents and is being counselled by the community.
MS Sirsa said, “A case has been registered against the accused 62-year-old man who forcibly married the girl and he has been arrested on Saturday night itself. The community is following up the case and seeking strict action.”
Accompanied by Srinagar Sikhs on Monday, MS Sirsa held a press conference in which he said, “The Sikh community, in entirety and at the valley, stands for the brotherhood with the Muslim community but such people should be strongly condemned and boycotted by either side who commit serious crimes like forcible conversion. The politicians of the valley should stand with the Sikh community and speak out against this crime. I want to ask why the leaders of the majority here including Abdullah Ji, Muftis, Maulanas and Ghulam Nabi Azad Sahib are silent, who should have come forward by now and taken up the issue of Sikhs in Srinagar as their own. Whatever happened here is a grave sin.”
Raising questions over the judiciary, MS Sirsa said, “The judiciary at the lower level has also given biased judgments and not heard the family of the Sikh girl out. We have also sought time from the chief justice of the high court to raise the concerns of the Sikhs in J&K. We trust the judicial system, but some people are taking unfair advantage of the same in the valley.”
He reiterated that the Sikh community at large is upholding its demand for strong anti-forcible religious conversions in J&K, as written to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha by Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh on Sunday.
Talking about this issue, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur said, “The country is free, but it does not allow forcible religious conversion. The girl, 18, in J&K has been misled and I strongly condemn her conversion. Sikh faith does not allow conversion to any other religion. Because of the democratic spirit, we cannot bring back the girl by force, that is why the due procedure is being followed. The Sikh parents should educate the girls that our faith does not allow religious conversion. Leniency in educating the youth can lead to such incidents.”
“SGPC's delegation from its J&K Sikh Mission is going to Srinagar to ascertain the entire ground situation on Tuesday morning. DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa Ji is already in J&K for the last two days and raising this issue. After taking feedback from the SGPC delegation and Sirsa Ji, further proceedings will be conducted accordingly”, said Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Meanwhile, various leaders voiced their support on Twitter. Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the J&K Peoples Democratic Party, made a tweet while reacting to the incidents with the Sikh community in Srinagar. “Disturbed to hear reports about the incident involving two Sikh girls in Kashmir. Muslims & Sikhs in J&K have co-existed peacefully in the worst of times. Hope the investigative agencies swiftly get to the bottom of this issue,” She tweeted on Monday.
Disturbed to hear reports about the incident involving two Sikh girls in Kashmir. Muslims & Sikhs in J&K have co-ex… https://t.co/vfw9DvQ2YH
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) 1624859547000
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also reacted and tweeted on Monday:
Any move to drive a wedge between Sikhs & Muslims in Kashmir will cause irreparable harm to J&K. The two communitie… https://t.co/7VnofdPOK7
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) 1624872548000
I hope the authorities will move quickly to investigate the recent cause of tension & if anyone has broken the law… https://t.co/MJKwGcI7mu
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) 1624872549000
Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor of Srinagar, also tweeted:
Our Sikh community is an integral, valuable and equal part and parcel of our society.Their apprehensions should b… https://t.co/TYw8lFPwSm
— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) 1624820908000
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress committee and Jammu kashmir Apni Party today condemned the islamic conversion of sikh girls in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress committee has asked the LG Manoj Sinha to immediately order an independent investigation into the serious allegations of forcible conversions and marriages of two sikh girls in Kashmir and make public the findings in a time bound manner.
Expressing serious concern over the allegations of forcible conversions and marriages of two Sikh girls, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress committee has sought a thorough probe and making public the findings in the shortest possible time to take stern action accordingly.
JKPCC Chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that the party strongly condemns such incidents as alleged and the minorities should be fully protected including their dignity, honour and freedom in all respects.Any such incident should be taken with all seriousness in view of the sensitivity of the Issue. Stern action should be taken against those found involved in the alleged commission of crime and creating tensions amongst communities.The people are cautioned against attempts to create communal tensions by such incidents.
Apni Party today strongly condemned alleged forced marriage and conversion of a Sikh girl in Srinagar and demanded strict action against the accused person who have attempted to promote enmity between the two communities.
In a statement to the press, Ex-MLC and General Secretary, Vijay Bakaya has expressed his deep concern over the miscreants who are bent upon to hurt the feelings of a community and create mistrust with their acts which should be strongly condemned by all.
Bakaya said that “The Kashmiri Sikhs have remained an important part of society in the Valley and they have stayed back in parts of Kashmir despite militancy. However, this incident has alarmed all of us.”
Apni Party, General Secretary, Vikram Malhotra said such acts must be discouraged and the parents of the person who is behind this act should come forward and safely hand over the Sikh girl to her parents.
He demanded that the accused person and his supporters should be booked under strangest laws so that these things could not be repeated again.
Provincial President, Jammu, Manjit Singh said that the miscreants who are behind this act should be brought to book and religious leaders of Kashmir should openly oppose this act.
He said that this has hurt the centuries old relations between Kashmiri Muslims and Sikh community and elements like this should not be encouraged at any cost.
He, however, appealed for communal harmony. He also urged the religious leaders of Muslim community to come forward and denounce this act happened in Srinagar.
“It is the duty of majority community to protect the rights of minority community and respect the age-old Muslim-Sikh brotherhood in Kashmir which also exist across the world,” he added.
He demanded an impartial probe into the forced marriage and conversion of the Sikh girl.
