AMRITSAR: The action being taken by the Meghalaya government to evict the Sikhs living in Shillong is highly reprehensible. Disclosing this here today Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Bibi Jagir Kaur said that it was not logical to evict the Sikhs living in Shillong for years.
She said that the Punjabi colony which the government wanted to occupy was inhabited by Sikhs. If the price of this land has gone up so much today, it does not mean that the Sikhs who have lived there for centuries will be uprooted.
She said that it was astonishing that even after 200 years of settlement, Sikhs were not being given their ownership rights.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said that serious efforts have been made by the SGPC in recent years to stop the displacement of Sikhs in Shillong and the Sikh body still stands by the Sikhs in this regard.
She said that all possible help would be extended to the local Sikhs in this regard. The SGPC President said that Sikhs living in Shillong would not be allowed to be displaced under the pressure of land mafia and voice would be raised at every level against injustice.
Bibi Jagir Kaur said that the SGPC had been cooperating with the Sikhs in this matter from day one and when the matter came to light about three years ago, a high level delegation of the SGPC had gone to Meghalaya to help the Sikhs. Assistance was also provided to the affected Sikhs.
Apart from this, financial assistance was also sent several times to complete the construction of the local Gurdwara Sahib.
She said that even today the SGPC stood by the Sikhs of Meghalaya and would help them as per the need by getting information about the news of their displacement. If need be, a delegation of the Shiromani Committee will also be sent to Meghalaya, which will liaise with the government and administration there to protect the rights of Sikhs.
Bibi Jagir Kaur appealed to the Government of Meghalaya as well as the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi not to clash with the Sikhs in this regard.