Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 6: The minority Sikh community is facing discrimination in every field in Jammu and Kashmir.
This was stated by social activist and president of Sikh Progressive Front (SPF) Balvinder Singh while addressing a press conference here today. He was accompanied by representatives of various Sikh organizations including Kashmir Sikh Society, Kashmir Sikh Sangat, National Sikh Front Sikh and Noujwan Sabha.
Balvinder informed that today he led a delegation of various Sikh organizations and met MP Jugal Kishore, ex-Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and ex-MLA Vikram Randhawa to apprise them of various issues/discrimination being faced by the Sikh Community of J&K.
He said the delegation pointed out some bare facts in a point wise manner for the consideration of the BJP leaders so that they may take up the matter with the party High Command and UT Administration for immediate redressal.
During the meeting, the delegation took up the issue of excluding Kashmiri Sikhs from the package of Special drive for Non Migrant Kashmiri, initiated by then Prime Minister S Manmohan Singh. He said that the delegation also criticized non-inclusion of a member from the Sikh community in PSC and expressed resentment over non-inclusion of Punjabi in list of official languages of J&K UT.
“The concern was also raised for not extending National Minority Commission (NMC) Act in the UT of J&K and thereby debarring the members of minority community from all such benefits granted under the NMC ACT,” he added.
Balvinder said the delegation also objected to a recent notification issued by AICTE for giving special concession to the wards of Kashmiri Migrants and Kashmiri Pandit/Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non Migrant) living in Kashmir valley for admission in Higher Educational Institutions throughout the Country in which the microscopic Sikh community was ignored again.
He said that MP Jugal Kishore and other senior BJP leaders assured the delegation that all its grievances shall be taken up at the highest level for early redressal. “The delegation was comprised of Manjit Singh (general secretary, SPF), Varinderjit Singh (chairman, National Sikh Front) and others,” he added.
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