Sikhs demand extension of minorities Act to J&K

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13

The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has urged the Central Government to extend the National Commission for Minorities Act (NCMA) in Jammu and Kashmir UT, which was being stalled by governments in the erstwhile state.

Committee chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina addressed a press conference in Jammu and said all governments in the past had remained silent on the issue and the Sikh community living in J&K had been deprived of all benefits enjoyed by the minorities in other parts of India.

“We hope the Central Government will take necessary steps to ensure that the minorities will get all benefits of different schemes which was being earlier denied to them in erstwhile state”, said Raina.He said the APSCC had also apprised the Chief Secretary about the main points of the job package.

“It is unfortunate that in the Central Government-sanctioned package for only minority Kashmir Hindus living in the Valley, the Sikhs have not been included in the package”, he said.