JAMMU, Jun 23: Shiromani Akali Dal J&K along with several Sikh organisations has appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to implement the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay.
Addressing a press conference, Darbinder Singh, accompanied by representatives of various Sikh organisations including Bhai Kanhaiya Nishkam Sewa Society, Sikh Naujwan Sabha J&K, Istri Akali Dal, Youth Akali Dal J&K and members of the Gurdwara community, expressed concern over the continued delay in operationalising the Act despite its applicability to J&K and Ladakh under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Darbinder Singh said that the delay has deprived Sikhs and other minority communities of various welfare schemes and benefits available to minorities across the country. He alleged that even after the abrogation of Article 370 and extension of central laws to Jammu and Kashmir, minorities in the Union Territory have not received the advantages envisaged under the National Commission for Minorities Act.
The Sikh leaders also raised the long-pending issue of rehabilitation of 1947 refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and urged the Government of India to release the promised financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh per family. They stated that the Sikh community, being a microscopic minority in J&K, continues to face socio-economic and political challenges and lacks adequate representation in democratic institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohinder Singh highlighted the issue of Punjabi language recognition. He demanded that Punjabi be accorded equal status alongside Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri and English, citing the sizeable Punjabi-speaking population in the region. He also called for the appointment of Punjabi teachers against sanctioned posts and implementation of earlier government orders related to the promotion of the language.
Several prominent Sikh leaders, social activists and representatives of religious organisations from across Jammu and Kashmir participated in the press conference and reiterated their demand for safeguarding the rights, welfare and cultural identity of minority communities in the Union Territory.