Jammu/Srinagar, August 20 (Scoop News ) – J&K Governemnt has strongly denied the report published in a national daily regarding harassment of a particular community in Kashmir by a majority community by way of letters. A government spokesman termed the report as a deliberate attempt to malign a strong secular image of people of Kashmir outside the state. He said that letters written by any one mischievous person can’t be projected as view of majority.
The spokesman said that all the communities are living amicably in the valley and cited the instance of a group of people, who performed last rites of their brother belonging to other community just the other day, which was hailed by entire media.
The spokesman while terming the story of the national newspaper as a figment of imagination and falsehood said that the valley of Kashmir is the bedrock of strong, secular ideology, which has been established by it during all the testing times. He further said that news report is aimed at creating confusion at a time when the situation is slowly moving towards normalcy.
He said it seems handiwork of those elements, who are bent on creating wedge between various communities to foment trouble. He said that recently three weeks before one isolated ugly incident which occurred at Tral was unanimously condemned openly by entire population. Even the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intervened in the matter and all delegation who met him gave assurance for strengthening of mutual relationship and brotherhood.
The spokesman appreciated the other sections of the media who have always supported the government and the people of Kashmir in projecting the secular image. He said the clear example of this is the successful Amarnath Yatra, where lakhs of devotees paid obeisance at holy cave and the people of Kashmir warmly facilitated their pilgrimage.
Likewise, the spokesman said that the Muslim and Sikh communities in the valley have century old relationship based on mutual respect and love for each other.
At the same time In Srinagar, Kashmiri Sikhs on Friday said they are safe in the Valley.They refute suggestions that they are in any danger, after they received letters claiming to be from separatist organizations, insisting to join the protests against civilian killings, or leave the Valley, altogether.
Indumeet Singh, the Chairman of the United Sikh Front Kashmir said, "What was the need to send these letters? If any organization has done this, they would have done it using their letterhead. We can say that this must be done by a central government or state government-paid organization,"
.He said,” we are living here for last 20 years, We don’t have any problem here”.
Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani reassured Sikh who wants to spread misinformation and wants to harm and stop our movement,"s, and said they shouldn’t feel threatened. Nobody would force them to join the protests,he added.
Geelani said,”This is the work of any third person who wants to harm and stop our movement.”
While as Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram today assured the Rajya Sabha,that Centre and the state government will work together to provide full protection to the Sikh minority in Kashmir,.
Responding to the concerns of the members Chidambaram said that the government is aware of the so called threats by some elements to them and nobody will be allowed to harm them. He also informed the House that the Chief Minister has assured him to this effect.
Newspaper reports, which were quoted by the opposition in both the houses, say sikh community has been threatened either to leave or embrace the religion of the majority community.