Sikh group urge Centre to hold talks on ‘long-pending’ issues

Chandigarh: A group of Sikh representatives has urged the central govt to initiate talks with the Sikh community on its "long pending issues" that, they said, can be sorted out within the legal framework of the Constitution of India.In a letter addressed to the Govt of India, the representatives said that even though different political parties ruled Punjab and the Centre since Independence, some pertinent issues concerning the Sikhs "remain unaddressed/unresolved to this day". They said the Centre could resolve these pending matters through dialogue and discussion, without involving political wrangling or incurring economic costs.The representation said some Sikh concerns were religious, while others related to Sikh identity, social values and legal justice.Among the issues raised, the signatories sought strict guidelines against restricting or debarring Sikhs wearing the Kirpan from taking examinations, both in Punjab and outside the state. They also sought expansion of the Anand Marriage Act to include not only registration of marriage but also provisions such as divorce and other matters related to marriage.The representation also sought review of cases of all Sikh political prisoners and a one-time general amnesty for those who have undergone their sentences or a substantial portion of them. It further sought pardon for Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar's death sentence.Other demands included handing back historic gurdwaras such as Mangu Math in Puri and Gyan Godri in Haridwar to the Sikhs, introduction and protection of Punjabi as a second language in states adjoining Punjab, reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, liberal visas for NRI Sikhs, abolition of the blacklist containing names of NRI Sikhs, immediate SGPC elections, amendment of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, return of artefacts and manuscripts taken during the June 1984 attack on Darbar Sahib, and an apology in Parliament for the attack and the November 1984 Sikh "pogrom". The signatories included advocate Navkiran Singh, Kendriya Singh Sabha secretary Khushhal Singh, Institute of Sikh Studies vice-president Gurpreet Singh, ISC Chandigarh secretary-general Birendra Kaur, and retired senior journalist Jaspal Singh Sidhu.MSID:: 131279489 413 |