Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 13: In an effort to address issues of the Sikh community specifically, and the people of Kashmir in general, the All Party Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) today announced fielding of candidates in Kashmir for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking at a press conference, APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina stated that, despite years of advocacy, the issues faced by the Sikh population remain unresolved.
“If the Government is not listening to us and not addressing our concerns, we have decided to field our candidates in four Assembly segments in Kashmir during the upcoming elections, and we will seek support from the majority community to ensure their victory,” Raina said.
He criticized various political parties for repeatedly failing the Sikh community, emphasizing that it is time to hold them accountable.
“Successive Governments in the erstwhile state of J&K did nothing to improve the conditions for the Sikh community. We were merely a vote bank for different political parties,” he added.
The APSCC Chairman stressed that, if their candidates are elected, they will not only raise the issues of the Sikh community but also advocate for the broader concerns of the people of Kashmir.
“We have consistently approached the Government with our demands, but now we are asking the majority community for their support. We have never asked for anything from the people before, but this time, we need their backing.”
Raina also addressed issues such as unemployment, electricity shortages, and the lack of drinking water across Kashmir, calling for urgent measures to resolve these problems.
“The Government has no roadmap for tackling unemployment. To address power shortages, fifty percent of the electricity generated by the NHPC here should be allocated to Kashmir,” he said.
He criticized the delimitation process and the reservation of seats for various communities, excluding Sikhs, describing their decision to contest the elections as a “befitting reply to discrimination.”
“It is highly unfortunate that, while seats in the Legislature have been reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Kashmiri Pandits, no such provision has been made for the Sikh community of J&K.”
Raina further noted that a Government order for job packages was replaced by another directive that barred educated Sikh youth from applying for Government jobs.
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