CHANDIGARH/VALTOHA: Union home minister P Chidambram’s categorical no to including Sikhs in the ‘welcome-back’ call extended to Kashmiri youth who had gone over to PoK, has come as a rude shock for Punjab, where people are slamming the government’s stand as ‘‘discriminatory and unjust’’.
Soon after PC’s offer to PoK youths, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, in an exclusive interview with the TOI, had asked the minister to make the same offer to Sikh youths on February 13. On Thursday, Chidambram’s party colleague and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said he ‘‘did not agree with the (PC’s) decision’’.
‘‘There has to be some logic to it. When we are extending this offer to those who are still resorting to violence (in J&K), then why can’t we call back those who have shunned arms years ago and returned to the mainstream,’’ said Amarinder, who had, during his chief minister’s tenure, carried back a list of 50-odd such youths from Canada for having their names cleared from the High Commission, after taking clearance from Indian authorities. He also took up the matter with External Affairs ministry later.
BJP MP from Amritsar, Navjot Sidhu called the decision ‘‘a shocking violation of Indian constitution where Union government was indulging in discrimination on the basis of caste, colour and creed. Anybody, who violates the constitution should be made to face action,’’ Sidhu told The Times of India on phone from Indore.
Even as criticism is pouring in from Sikh leaders cutting across party lines, human rights lawyer Navkiran Singh has decided to file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging PC’s decision on the ground that ‘‘all the citizens are equal in the eyes of India’s constitution but the Union government is discriminating against Sikhs while appeasing Muslim community.’’
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, known to be a moderate face among radical Sikh leaders during militancy, also finally joined the chorus and declared PC’s decision as ‘‘unfortunate’’. Talking to TOI, Badal said, ‘‘I am sorry to hear the statement of the home minister, because the policy should be the same for all Indian nationals.’’ He added that he would take up the issue with Chidambram during latters visit to Amritsar on February 20. “All we want is that the Sikh youth who had to leave the country under some kind of duress, repression or implication in false cases, should be considered for a similar opportunity.”
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, who had asked black-listed Sikh youths to approach the Akal Takht with their details about six months back, said his office had received over 100 such names, where people have been denied the chance visit their home country, even though they have no criminal cases against them. ‘‘The entire community was angry about Operation Bluestar and many of them held public protests. Why should this be held against them,’’ asked Makkar, who said he would be writing to the PM for a review of this decision.
The state battled militancy for over one and a half decades, though, normalcy returned to the state in the mid-90s, many Sikhs were put on an ‘adverse list’, commonly known as ‘black list’, and have not been allowed to return to India all these years.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, described the home minister’s statement on Wednesday as a ‘gross injustice with Sikhs’.
Read more: Chidambaram no to return of Sikhs from PoK fuels anger in Punjab - India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chidambaram-no-to-return-of-Sikhs-from-PoK-fuels-anger-in-Punjab/articleshow/5590563.cms#ixzz0xQwdCGj4
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