Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Gurdwara Parbandhak Board (JKGPB)has demanded constitution of Minority Commission and providing representation to the Sikh members in the J&K Public Service Commission and J&K Service Selection Board.
The District Gurudwara Prabandhak Committees of Jammu, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Doda, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi and Kishtwar conducted a joint meeting at Gurudwara Baba Fateh Singh, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu under the banner of Jammu Kashmir Gurudwara Prabhandhak Board, led by its president, TS Wazir along with various Sikh leaders.
During the meeting discussion was held with respect to grievances faced by Sikh community and POK refugees in J&K. Various burning issues were discussed like need to introduce Punjabi language by the Government of J&K, setting up of Minority Commission, reservation in employment and education sector for Sikhs and for POK refugees, representation to a Sikh Member in PSC / SSB and various other issues.
It was decided that to overcome all the problems which the community is facing, Board need to get political reservation in Legislative Assembly with at least two seats from Jammu province and 2 from Kashmir province and a Lok Sabha seat as it was given to Sikhs during the princely rule and if we are given opportunity to take part in the proceedings as member of these houses, we can raise all the issues related to Sikh community and POK refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971, who are settled along the border belt right from Kathua (Punjab border) to Uri sector.
The meeting resolved that this time they need to get this demand fulfilled as afresh delimitation process is initiated by the Government of India in J&K UT and during this delimitation process Government has again ignored us as neither any Sikh leader, nor any POK refugee is involved by the government during this process and the leaders who are involved during this process have failed to even raise the grievances of Sikhs and POK refugees. It was decided in one voice that the Government must involve either any elected member of DGPC or Chairman State Gurudwara Prabhandhak Board or the elected independent Sikh leader who is member of BDC, Jammu should be kept member to this exercise.
The members appealed to all political parties to support their genuine cause. All the participants also condemned the incident of Kashmiri Sikh girls and demanded action.
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