Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, July 6: Shiromani Akali Dal National (Jammu-Kashmir) strongly reiterated its demand to provide representation to the Sikhs in legislature besides other legal/ constitutional bodies and also declare Sikhs in State as minority community. Addressing a joint press conference here today, working president of the body Gurdev Singh, vice president Prof Amrik Singh Sathi and general secretary, Dayal Singh Wazir, said that Sikhs in the State are an ethnic minority with distinct culture, faith and religion. Despite of the sacrifices made by Sikhs in various fields, they have been totally neglected and left with no role in the political and democratic structure of the State. They pointed out that Sikhs do not have representation in the Legislative Assembly and the community is feeling alienated and isolated. There was strong resentment brewing among the community members of the attitude of the State Government. The SADN leaders further pointed out that Sachar and Rangnath Mishra panels formulated by Govt of India have recommended reservations for socio-economic and politically backward religious minorities in the country. There are States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal which made reservations for economically and educationally backward Muslim minority. Andhra Govt also passed an Act in 2007 to provide 4% reservation to backward Muslim minority except creamy layer. They urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take the conscious decision to provide some constitutional safeguards to Sikh community and find a way to have their representative character in legislature through reservation by identifying two constituencies in Jammu and one in Kashmir region through an ordinance or any other means to protect their legitimate democratic rights.
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