JAMMU, May 31: Chairman of the National Sikh Front, Varinderjeet Singh today expressed serious concern over the continued political and institutional under-representation of the Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir despite its immense contribution towards communal harmony, border security, agriculture, trade and national unity over several decades.
In a strongly-worded statement issued here today, Varinderjeet Singh said the Sikh community of Jammu and Kashmir has gradually been reduced to a “politically invisible minority” whose voice remains largely absent from important decision-making institutions of the Union Territory.
He said successive Governments have repeatedly ignored the long-pending demand for reservation of Assembly seats for the Sikh community despite assurances, memoranda and repeated representations by various Sikh organisations over the years.
“The Sikh community is not seeking political charity but rightful democratic participation in governance proportionate to its historical contribution, minority status and constitutional dignity,” he asserted.
The NSF chairman said several Sikh organisations and intellectual bodies have consistently demanded reservation of at least two to four Assembly seats for Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir so that the community can effectively raise issues related to minority welfare, employment, education, security and cultural preservation within the Legislature.
He regretted that while several communities and sections have been provided political safeguards and representation mechanisms, the Sikh minority continues to remain neglected despite being one of the most peaceful, patriotic and nationally committed communities of the region.
Varinderjeet Singh further expressed concern over the negligible representation of Sikhs in higher administrative institutions, judiciary, Public Service bodies and recruitment mechanisms. He termed the absence of Sikh representation in key constitutional and administrative institutions as deeply disappointing for a community that has rendered immense sacrifices during some of the most difficult phases of Jammu and Kashmir’s history.
He also stressed the urgent need for promotion and institutional recognition of Punjabi language in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that language is not merely a medium of communication but the soul of a community’s culture, heritage and identity.
“The pain of a minority becomes more dangerous when it slowly begins to feel unheard, unseen and politically irrelevant,” he remarked.
Demanding immediate intervention of the Central Government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration, the National Sikh Front urged the authorities to initiate serious dialogue on political reservation for Sikhs, ensure fair representation in jobs and institutions and take concrete steps for protection and promotion of Punjabi language and Sikh identity in the Union Territory.
Varinderjeet Singh asserted that true democracy can never be complete unless every minority feels represented, respected and meaningfully heard within the system.