Journalist Jaspal Singh Sidhu, Prof. Gurdarshan Singh, Ex-IAS officer and Prof. of Sikhism , Gurtej Singh and President Sikh studies Institute, Gurpreet Singh
By Chanchal Manohar Singh
Chandigarh: With various Sikh organisations and farmers’ bodies coming in open opposition to callous and motivated demotion of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) status has testified that Punjab which too underwent similar type of state repression in recent past overwhelmingly stood for the subjugated people.
For six weeks, Kashmiris have been kept caged with the deployment of excessive force thereby crushing their human and civil rights which negated the Indian government’s claim that the move on Kashmir was mere constitutional change, said the Sikh thinkers assembled at the campus of Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha (KSGSS) here.
Sikh thinkers, however, hailed all Sikh organisations and other Left supported farmers’ bodies for extending their support to near one million Kashmiris presently undergoing untold miseries and undeclared imprisonment.
In fact, the Kashmir developments have emanated from political calculations of the ruling BJP which are aimed at targeting a Muslim minority bordering Pakistan to consolidate the majority community for building ‘Hindu Rashtra’, they said.
The New Delhi move has not only incited communal passions among the Indians but also created environment of war between two nuclear armed countries- India and Pakistan with impending threats of vast destruction both sides along the border.
The Sikh thinkers lambasted Punjab government of Capt Amrinder Singh for imposing official restrictions on farmers’ bodies and other trade unions demonstrating in favour of Kashmiris in Punjab yesterday. They accused the Chief Minister of adopting double-standard just to please Prime Minister Modi. Capt Amrinder Singh, earlier, described August five as “ black day” when constitutional changes were made on Kashmir and also extended support to beleaguered Kashmiri students in Punjab and now he staged volte face on all that.
Sikh thinkers, however, hailed all Sikh organisations and other Left supported farmers’ bodies for extending their support to near one million Kashmiris presently undergoing untold miseries and undeclared imprisonment.
Those who participated in the meeting included former IAS Gurtej Singh, Prof Grudarshan Singh Dhillon, President, Institute of Sikh Studies Gurpreet Singh, senior journalist Jaspal Singh Sidhu, KSGSS member Surrinder Singh Kishanpura.