37,000 endorse separate identity plea for Sikhs at Amritsar camp

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 21

Around 37,000 persons have endorsed the “Sikhs are not Hindus” petition during a two-day camp organised outside the Golden Temple. The petition seeks an amendment to Article 25 (b) of the Constitution.

The All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF), which has initiated this move, claimed around 70,000 persons from all over the world have submitted their signatures online so far.

The petition maintains Sikhism is a separate religion and it should be recognised as such. This petition will be taken up with US President Barack Obama ahead of his visit to India next month urging to take up the issue with PM Narendra Modi.

Signature camps in support of the petition will also be held at Fatehgarh Sahib on December 26, 27 and 28.

AISSF president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said the online petition on the issue was filed under “We The People White House Petition” by US-based NGO “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ).

“To elicit a response from the Obama administration, the petition on the issue of Article 25(b) of the Indian Constitution was targeted to be signed by 1,00,000 persons by December 31. This is for the first time that a US President will be the guest of honour on January 26. We want President Obama to take a stand for the Sikh community that has been denied religious identity by the Constitution for the past 65 years,” he said.

“We have already received 70,000 online signatures on the petition. The two-day camp here has given us the rights to sign on behalf of another 37,000 persons. I presume that we may get over 1.5 lakh signatories by December 31,” he said.

In August 2005, a Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice RC Lahoti ruled that “Sikhs and Jains are part of broader Hindu religion”.

The petition urges Obama to question PM Modi why the Indian Constitution labels Sikhs as Hindus besides raising the issues of “Sikh genocide” and Sikhs’ right to self-determination.