Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 7: Reiterating its demand of extension of National Minority Act 1992 to the J&K State and reservation of seats in Legislature for minorities, Shriromani Akali Dal (SAD) National working president, Gurdev Singh accused the Omar Abdullah led Government of not extending the Act to the State .
By depriving the legitimate benefits of the Act to the minorities of the State, the Government this was avoiding implementation of national schemes for the benefit of minorities, Mr Singh along with his general secretary, Dayal Singh told reporters here today.
He said Sikhs despite being ethnic minority community having distinct culture and faith contributed immensely for the security and prosperity of the State from times immemorial. The legitimate demands of the Minority community of Sikhs are continuously being ignored by the present Coalition Government and other political dispensation after accession of J&K with the rest of country.
He said the hostile attitude of political dispensation towards minority Sikhs has caused a lot of resentment among the community who have also been alienated from the main stream and were lagging behind other communities in socio-economic and political arena.
He said Sikhs are being continuously discriminated in employment, promotions, transfers and postings and fake enquiries are initiated against them to pave way for their juniors and blue eyed boys ride over them. The community is denied representation in different statutory bodies, commissions and committees constituted by the Government, he added.
He said the Punjabi language has been denied its due place in the schools of the State and Cabinet order has not been implemented in this regard.
He said the displaced persons from PoK whose majority belongs to Sikh community are facing continuous discrimination over the years. Their properties have not been registered and they have not been given any relief package, he added.
While hailing the decision of Sikh Coordination Committee from Valley to vote against the coalition partners in coming Assembly and Parliamentary elections in the State for betraying the community, he said a consensus will be formed in the community in this regard also.
Dayal Singh said that Sikhs who migrated to Jammu during mass exodus of 1989-90 are being treated in a different manner and their resettlement and rehabilitation is ignored.
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