KARNAL: Sikh representatives who met here yesterday decided to hold a Sikh conference in Karnal on May 28. They showed their annoyance that the State Government clamped Section 144, Cr P.C., to thwart their move to hold a conference.
The speakers at the meeting also took exception to the fact that the Chief Minister had declined their Offer to preside over the proposed conference. Most of them proclaimed that they would not accept any such offer from the Chief Minister in future.
Tempers ran high when delegates resented that Sikhs had been ignored in providing representation in the Haryana Cabinet. It was noted that there was none to represent the sentiments and the aspirations of the Sikhs. A number of speakers pointed out that Mr. Harmohinder Singh Chatha, Speaker of the Haryana Assembly did not represent the Sikh viewpoint as he had come to the Janata Dal from the Congress (I).
The speakers demanded a recruitment policy according to which Sikhs should also be adequately represented in the services.
A spokesman of the Sikhs said they had met the Chief Minister, the Home Minister, Sampat Singh, the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police and apprised them that their purpose was to keep the conference a “nonparty” affair.
The meeting also decided to demand the second language status for Punjabi in Haryana.
Panels were formed to propagate the Sikh viewpoint amongst the people in Haryana and lay stress on Hindu-Sikh unity.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 5, 1989
