Minority Commission assures SGPC to look into the issues faced by Sikh community

Amritsar, Punjab: Chairman of National Minorities Commission of India Wajahat Habibullah has assured the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar to look into the issues faced by Sikh community in India and abroad. Wajahat Habibullah was here to pay obeisance at Golden Temple on Friday.

SGPC president Makkar gave him a memorandum detailing about the issues including forcible removal of Sikh’s turbans on the name of security at airports in various countries, step motherly treatment with Punjabi language , displacement of Sikhs of Gujrat besides he also took up the issue of terrorist Davinderpal Singh Bhullar who is waiting death sentence.

Habibullah said that Commission already knew about the issues faced by Sikhs. He said the commission had received complaint of harassment to Sikhs in France with respect to their turban . He said since the jurisdiction of Commission was not international yet the Commission had contacted foreign ministry to take up the issue with French government . The issue had been taken up at several levels with French government but its result was yet to be seen. About displacement of Gujrat Sikhs he said the Commission had written to Gujrat government and was awaiting for their reply.

He said the Commission had not received any application about Bhullar. “We will see how much we can do within purview of law”. he said .

He said the Commission knew about the worries of Sikh community and was doing everything possible to redress them. “Country should be indebted to Sikhs for their sacrifices and it should be seen also” said he.

Source: TOI