SRINAGAR: All Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee of Kashmir (ASGMC of Kashmir) on Wednesday held a peaceful protest demonstration here in Srinagar demanding central government provide them non migration benefits to Kashmiri Sikhs and reservation in jobs as well as in admission at AICTE approved colleges.
The members of the Sikh committee from the various district of the Kashmir valley assembled inside the premises of the Gurudwara at Barzulla Bagh holding placards and banners in their hands which reads “stop discrimination against Kashmiri Sikhs”, “Non-Migrant benefits for Kashmiri Sikhs” “Minority status for Kashmiri Sikhs”, “include Punjabi language also as the official language” , “we also belongs to JK stop step-motherly treatment with us” and “we want Justice,”.
The protesting members of the Sikh community said that they are demanding the Government of India also include the Sikh community in the recent package which has been announced by the Central Government for the non Migrant Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu families living in Kashmir valley.
Chairman of the All Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee of Kashmir, Sardar Baldev Singh said the Sikh minority community in the Kashmir valley has been ignored again in the recent package that has been announced by the Central Government for the non-migrant Kashmiri pandits and Hindu Families.
“This is the first time in the history of 70 years that no Sikh has been taken as a member of the Public service Commission. The Punjabi language which is the official language of the Jammu and Kashmir and is speaking across the Jammu and Kashmir have been ignored and has not been declared the official language of the Jammu and Kashmir,” He said.
“The government is doing the discrimination with Sikh community which are living in the Kashmir Valley have not been included in package which order has recently passed of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in which concession for the wards of the non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu families living in Kashmir valley was sanctioned by the Ministry of Education in consultation with Home Ministry of India,” Singh said.
He said that job quota which has given to youthe non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu families, out of which 50% should be reserved for the Sikhs of Kashmir.
The members of the Sikh committee said that they have been waiting that the long pending demand of the minority status will be given to them, but the government has failed to implement it.
They also has also requested the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India to look to the matter and providing of the non Migration benefits for the Kashmiri Sikhs.

ARIF RASHID