Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 28 (ANI): Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Manjinder Singh Sirsa has questioned the silence of Jammu and Kashmir’s regional parties on the issue of the alleged abduction and forcible conversion of two Sikh girls in Srinagar who were also allegedly married off forcefully.
Citing examples of how Sikhs had always helped Jammu and Kashmir, Sirsa said that the community had spent lakhs of rupees to bring back the many daughters of Jammu and Kashmir who were stuck in several places in the country after the enactment of Citizenship Amendment Act.
He also said that food for 50,000 people was brought by air from Delhi to Srinagar during 2014 floods.
Addressing a press conference here, Sirsa said, “When the Citizen Amendment Act was enforced in the country, and many of our daughters expressed threat to their lives and said that they wanted to go back to their state, to their homes and families, Sikhs bought tickets worth lakhs and ensured that those daughters were dropped at their doorsteps safely in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2014, when there were floods here, food of around 50,000 people was prepared in Gurudwara Bangla Saheb and we used to bring it here in Srinagar in flights.”
“But today, I want to ask the fathers of those daughters, that we treated them as our own daughters, but now when it came to our daughters then why do they seem strangers to you?” he asked.
Sirsa said, “Today no mufti, mulana, the regional parties, nobody is speaking in our favour. Are we alone here? Are our relations only for name sake? Is the brotherhood and peace we talk about is only for namesake?”
“Daughters are daughters, irrespective of their religion. If today something wrong is happening with somebody’s daughter, and eveyone is silent. This is not right,” he added.
Sirsa said that even the district judiciary did not grant justice to the two Sikh girls.
“After marrying off two Sikh girls, it was said that they did this on their own free will. It is very saddening that the district judiciary and the district judges also did not do justice. The parents of the girls were also not allowed to enter the court and the elderly man to whom the girls were married off, all his relatives were there in the court so that they can pressurise the girls. This will not be tolerated by our community in any condition. This is not an issue of a particular daughter but an issue of communities,” said Sirsa.
He said that the members of the Sikh community worldwide have strongly condemned the incident.
“Giani Harpreet Singh Ji, Jathedar, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, our highest temporal authority has also written to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir where he has sought the safe return of the girl to her family and demanded to enact laws as per which strict action could be taken against those who indulge in forced religious conversions,” said Sirsa.
Meanwhile, the DSGMC president said that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) of the safe return of two Sikh girls to their families.
Addressing the media, the DSGMC president also said that Union Home Minister will soon meet the Jammu and Kashmir Sikh delegation to discuss the concerns of the minority.
“Home Minister Amit Shah has assured us about the safety of minority Sikh girls in the Valley and that the girls would be soon returned to their families. He has given time to meet Jammu and Kashmir Sikh delegation soon to discuss the minority’s concerns,” said Sirsa.
He added that the delegation also discussed the issue of the local gurdwara land in the meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to which he readily agreed upon.
“He also agreed on setting up a Minority Commission to address the issues of minority Sikhs. Thanking him once again for assuring that stern actions will be taken against those forcing Nikah or conversions on minority Sikh girls,” added DSGMC president.
Shiromani Akali Dal President (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also took to Twitter and expressed ‘shock’ over the abduction and marriage of a Sikh girl in Srinagar.
“Shocked to learn that our Sikh daughter Manmeet Kaur was kidnapped and forcibly married to an elderly man of a different community in Srinagar. Have asked DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa ji to immediately rush there & ensure justice is delivered to the victim family,” Badal tweeted. (ANI)
