Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 6: Displaced Kashmiri Sikh Conference (DKSC) has demanded reservation of four constituencies and minority status in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a press statement today, president of body, Harmohinder Singh said that out of the total, two seats be reserved for them in Jammu province and two in Kashmir Valley so that the minority Sikhs can get the proper reservation in the J&K Assembly. He said 7 seats have been reserved in the Assembly for the Schedule Castes to protect their rights. The Central Government had assured a minority status for Sikhs but that was nor materialized due to upheavals in state politics.
Apart from this Central government mulls reservation of 6 Assembly seats for Gujjars and Bakarwal community and a special package for reservation of Pahari speaking people in government jobs.
Singh flayed the policies of Central leadership for not paying any heed towards the plight of Sikh community in JK Union Territory. He said Prime Minister’s special recruitment drive plan in Kashmir for non-migrants both Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs was hijacked by vested interests and Sikhs remained high and dry. Sikhs also received the brunt of turmoil immensely since 1990 when armed militants created mayhem in Chitthisingpura in year 2000 and Mehjoor Nagar in 2001 and other selective killings in different parts of Kashmir Valley.
Harmohinder said if central government starts delimitation process in the Union territory, the concerns of the Sikh community such as minority status must be kept in mind and protected in right perspective otherwise they will feel cheated. Emphasizing the need for reservation of 4 constituencies for Minority sikhs Harmohinder said that in Kashmir 2 constituencies dominated by Sikhs- Baramulla and Tral and two in Jammu (RS Pura and Gandhi Nagar) be kept reserved.
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