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| Consider representation for declaring Sikh community as minority: HC to Govt | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar May 13: J&K High Court today directed state government to consider a representation, seeking minority status for Sikhs in the state and a probe into the Chattisinghpora Massacre in 2000, within three months.
Division Bench of the court comprising Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey passed the direction while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by one Sardar Avtar Singh of Mehjoor Nagar Srinagar.
“The petitioner is granted liberty to file detailed representation, indicating his grievances. The state is directed to consider the representation and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law within three months,” the Division Bench said.
The bench passed the directions after hearing Advocate General R A Jan, Assistant Solicitor General of India S A Makroo and counsel of the petitioner advocate G M Wani.
Advocate General R A Jan submitted that the averments and allegations made in the petition are vague and that no representation was received from the petitioner.
Meantime Advocate Wani appearing for petitioner said that government should be asked to file written reply to show how averments are vague. Assistant Solicitor General of India S A Makroo submitted that so far as Union of India was concerned, the PIL only seeks directions to declare the Sikh community as a minority.
Thirty five Sikhs were killed in Chattisinghpora in district Anantnag on March 20, 2000, a day before visit of the then president of United States of America to India.
Government said Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was responsible for the carnage and five LeT militants were claimed to have been killed who carried out the killings but they later turned out to be civilians.
Besides an enquiry Into Chattisinghpora massacre, the PIL had sought directions to appointment a Board for welfare of Sikh community in the State, appointment of a Commission to investigate the problems of Sikhs and to suggest appropriate measures for their improvement in social and economic sectors, introduction of Punjabi language department in the University of Kashmir, financial assistance to deserving Sikh students for higher studies abroad, reservation for Sikhs of J&K in all state departments and all other institutions including the Legislatures, Judiciary, executive and KAS, to delimit a Legislative Assembly constituency for Sikhs in the State, providing similar benefits to Sikhs which other minorities are entitled to in rest of India under the National Commission for Minorities and measures be taken to promote the Sikh community of Jammu and Kashmir.
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