SGPC extends support to Sikh families of Karnal's Amupur village

Karnal, July 16

A delegation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) recently visited Amupur village in Karnal district to meet members of four families whose houses were allegedly demolished by the district administration.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami formed a committee comprising SGPC senior vice-president Harbhajan Singh Masana, junior vice-president Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, member Bhai Gurcharan Singh Grewal, Baldev Singh Qaimpur and member of SGPC’s Dharam Prachar Committee Tejinderpal Singh Ladwa.

The delegation assured the families of all support and announced an initial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to the four families each while condemning the action. They have urged the government to provide justice to these families.

Masana said as per the order of the SGPC president, it had been decided that the affected Sikh families would be initially provided an assistance of Rs 1 lakh each. He said the Sikh body would support these families, adding they would be given all kinds of assistance as per their needs.

SGPC member Grewal has called it an “anti-Sikh” action of the state government, and said there was resentment among the Sikhs against this action.

Buta Singh, one of the members of these families, said these houses belong to him and his three brothers. He said their family had migrated from western Punjab after the partition and settled in Amupur village around 70 years ago. However, the government officials recently came with the police force and demolished their houses.

On the other hand, Bhupinder Rana, father of sarpanch Yudhvir Singh Rana, said the demolition drive was carried out on the orders of the administration as the houses were built on nearly one acre of encroached land, which belonged to the gram panchayat. The administration also clarified that they had encroached upon the panchayat’s land.