Efforts to unite Sikhs gain momentum in Haryana

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, July 15

The efforts to unite members of the Sikh community and advocate for their rights are accelerating in the state. Following a state-level meeting in Karnal last week, a district-level meeting was held in Sirsa on Monday. Prominent members and representatives of the Sikh organisations attended the meeting held at Gurudwara Shri Patshahi Dasin Sahib here.

In the meeting, the members proposed that Sikh candidates should be fielded in the upcoming Assembly elections in the constituencies having a large population of Sikhs. They want that 15-20 seats should be given to them in the state. For reserved seats, the ticket should be allocated to the Sikhs belonging to the reserved category. These include Majhabis, Ravidassias, and Sikligars. The leaders also proposed that in the next Lok Sabha elections, two representatives from the Sikh community should be given tickets, and that the state Sikhs should also represent their community in the Rajya Sabha.

The members also highlighted that there were not enough Punjabi teachers in both government and private schools despite Punjabi being recognised as the second language in the state. They also demanded that SITs be formed in every district to ensure that those spreading false information about their religion or using derogatory language against the Sikhs on social media were strictly dealt with.

They also called for the formation of a minority commission in the state. In addition, they suggested that government land and grants should be allocated for building Sikh community centres in districts having significant Sikh population.