news details |
|
|
| APSCC warns agitation if minority status given to Kashmiri Pandits | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 23: All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) today threatened of agitation if the central government accepted the recommendation of a Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) granting minority status to the Kashmiri Pandits.
Addressing a press conference here today, APSCC Chairman, Jagmohan Singh Raina said the recommendation of PSC to grant minority status to Kashmiri Pandits is in contravention to the set procedure in this regard. He said the Sikhs would not allow this to happen adding that they would come on streets and raise their protest.
"A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended to the Government of India to give minority status to the Kashmiri Pandits.
These recommendations are in contravention to the guidelines set out by the National Commission for Minorities as far as classification of minorities is concerned," said Jagmohan.
The APSCC Chairman said that National Commission for Minorities has made it clear that there are six minority communities in the country. He said these are Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains. He said that granting minority status to the Kashmiri Pandits would upset the whole equilibrium in the society. "The APSCC expects Government of India to vehemently reject the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
If the Government of India goes ahead with granting of minority status to Kashmiri Pandits then the Sikhs would have no option, but to come on streets and raise strong protest in support of its demands. We will launch an agitation so that justice is done and injustice is rooted out," said Jagmohan.
The APSCC Chairman said that National Minority Act needs to be implemented in letter and spirit in the state so that the members of Sikh community are entitled to the privileges as given to them by National Commission for Minorities. He said that former National Conference-Congress coalition government did nothing to implement the National Minority Act in the state. "It has been observed in the past that Government of India especially the Home Ministry has unnecessarily been found meddling in Kashmir affairs. This is more so when the interests of the communities be it the majority or the minority. Interference from the outside has virtually played havoc with the overall societal set up," said Jagmohan.
The APSCC Chairman said that majority community in Kashmir valley has always been neglected by Home Ministry and they have been virtually pushed to the wall. He alleged that Home Ministry wants to play the same 'game' with minority Sikh community in the state. "Sikhs would not hesitate to come out and lodge their protest against any such move. We have suffered a lot in the past, but we cannot live with it forever. Justice has to be done and there cannot be any compromise in this regard. In such a case both the majority and minority communities would be forced to wage a war against the state.
The people at helm in Home Ministry would be responsible for the consequences thereof," said Jagmohan.The APSCC Chairman expressed the hope that Home Ministry would view the situation in a broader context before taking any decision in this regard. He said that one can only expect that better sense would prevail and they would not take any decision in haste. "The scheme of giving the minority status to any community is centrally sponsored and there is no burden on the state ex-chequer. As on date the Sikhs of Jammu & Kashmir are not a minority and they continue to be deprived of the privileges due to them.
Former Chairman, National Commission for Minorities Wajahat Habibullah wrote many times to the previous state government to introduce the Minority Act, but of no use," said Jagmohan.
The APSCC Chairman said that agricultural and horticultural losses suffered by the community members over the past 25 years have not been calculated by the state government and its machinery. He said that condition of members of community who had to shift from villages and settle in cities as well towns is pitiable. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
