Srinagar, September 02 (Scoop News) – Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today assured the Shiromani Akali Dal President and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal that the J&K Government would take all necessary steps to instill the sense of security in the minds of members of the Sikh community residing in the state.
Abdullah’s assurance came during an hour long meeting between two leaders who had called on the J&K Chief Minister at his residence here this after noon.
Badal was in Srinagar in connection with the threats being issued to the members of Sikh community about possible conversion from some unknown organizations. Abdullah also accepted the demand raised by the SAD President about the issuance of state subject certificates to the kids of Sikhs who have migrated from villages to urban areas and announced that he was authorizing divisional commissioner Kashmir to issue the certificates to them at their new addresses. He also promised to look into the legal mechanism to ensure adequate representation to the Sikh youths in the coming recruitment drive for 50,000 new government jobs. He also assured to appoint Punjabi Teachers in those areas having Sikh population keeping in view the demand of Sikh community who wanted their children read Punjabi.
Abdullah observed that Sikhs and Muslims have stayed together for centuries in J&K without any communal tension between the communities and expressed his confidence that the social fabric of the state would remain intact for ever.
Accompanied by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, both MPs, Sucha Singh Langah, Agriculture Minister, Punjab, Bikram Singh Majithia, former Minister and Harcharan Bains, Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Badal informed Abdullah that earlier in the day he had deliberations with various delegations of Sikh organizations of Jammu and Kashmir, who have brought in his notice various issues and problems being faced by them in the valley. He brought in the notice of the Chief Minister that the main demands of those representatives were creation of sufficient job opportunities for the Sikh youths, issuance of state subject certificates for those Sikh families who have shifted to Urban Areas, appointment of Punjabi teachers in those areas having sufficient Sikh population, setting up of state minority commission besides taking effective steps to instill the sense of security in the Sikh community. They informed him that they were getting full support and cooperation from the local Muslim brethren but expressed their apprehension regarding the threats of unknown elements, he added.
Badal informed Abdullah that earlier in the morning when he visited Leh to distribute relief material to the cloud burst affected families of Leh, he realized that before the start of winter the immediate need to create sufficient accommodation for the affected families. He said that the Punjab Government has decided to send Rs. 1 crore for this purpose and offered Abdullah every possible help for the speedy rehabilitation of affected people. He informed that as per the demand of local population the Punjab would send 15000 quintal fodder and 2500 quintal cattle feed immediately.
Earlier delegations of prominent Sikh organizations namely SAD (B) Kashmir headed by S.Charan Singh Balli ; Akali Dal Kashmir headed by S.Janak Singh Sodhi ; Sikh Action Committee headed by S. Daljit Singh Kingi, J&K Coordination Committee headed by Jagmohan Singh Raina, Kashmir Minority Forum headed by S.Surinder Singh Channi and Mahila Youth Wing ( Badal ) headed by s. Updesh Kaur Balli called on Badal here at State guest house and apprised him about the situation as well as threats being issued by unknown elements to Sikh residents besides other problem being faced by the community. Badal informed them that he was specially came here to bring their demands in the notice of J&K Chief Minister and to get these redressed at the earliest.
It may mentioned here that earlier Badal handed over 11 trucks of relief for the cloud burst victims of Leh to District administration and offered them every possible help for the affected populace of Leh in this hour of crisis. Badal informed that this consignment of relief contains 8 trucks of blankets, two trucks of hosiery and one truck of biscuits. He also paid obeisance at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and handed over a cheque of Rs. 5 lac on behalf of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee, Atisar besides cheques of five lac each to two Sikh families, who have lost everything in the recent cloud burst.