In a peaceful demonstration, Kashmiri Sikh community members belonging to All Party Sikh Co-ordination Commitee (APSCC) highlighted that their community has been given a step-motherly treatment by the UT’s administration and Central Government at large.
After Pandits, Sikhs are the second
minority community in the state. According to official data, the Sikh
population in Jammu and Kashmir is 2.03% – with 0.88% in the Kashmir division.
Expressing indignation, Sikh community leaders had said many times earlier that
their grievances have remained unaddressed for long.
Among their major demands – for which
the community says they have been fighting for decades – are the extension of
the Minority Community Act to the state and the introduction of Punjabi
language in schools and colleges.
They have also voiced many times about their worsening economic conditions.“Does government announce any special ration supply for us like they do during other festivals? Do they know whether the Sikhs have essential commodities like rice, sugar etc at home? Do they care for us.”
In Tral area, around 26 villages house
Sikh families, some are even Sikh dominated. “The condition of most of the
roads leading to Sikh-dominated villages is terrible. When we go to government
offices with our demands, we often receive a cold response,” they had claimed.
“Our private sector is weak. The
government hasn’t given us any employment quota. Where will our children go?
Those who are wealthy send their kids outside Kashmir. It is poor people like
us who face hardships every day.”
“We have MBA, M.Sc., M.A., and even PhD
degree holders seeking jobs for years. They rarely earn their livelihood. We
don’t have any reservation category. By not addressing our problems, the
government is forcing us to migrate from the Valley.”
https://www.facebook.com/K.Update24/posts/711432909453139
https://therealkashmir.com/all-party-sikh-co-ordination-committee-protest-at-srinagar-press-colony-against-discrimination-with-their-community/
Associate Professor
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College
University of Delhi
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