Srinagar (October 25, 2013 – Mir Iqbal): It is learnt that the Sikh Minority Forum of district Pulwam in Jammu and Kashmir has rejected the National Conference (NC) Minority Cell’s decision to hold elections for Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee in December this year and accused some vested interested community members for politicizing it for their personal interests.
The forum said that the elections will be held for framing Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, which is a religious body and added that no political party should interfere in it.
S. Mohan Singh Sethi, Chairman, Sikh Minority Forum, District Pulwama, said that the majority of Sikh voters reside in Tehsil Tral of district Pulwama, but none of the community leader from district Pulwama was invited to take the decision of conducting elections in December. “We in Pulwama district have more than 8000 voters, which is the highest in the any of the districts of Kashmir region, but still we were ignored, we will oppose the election if held in December,” Sethi said.
He reportedly added that in winter more than 50 percent of Sikh population migrates outside Kashmir for 3-4 months, that was why some vested interested community members were trying to take an opportunity for 50 percent absence only to gain majority in these elections.
He said that district Pulwama is the only district in the state where three Gurudwaras are registered under the Gurudwara Act, and ignoring the Sikhs of same district community for speaks a lot about the some vested interests of conducting the elections in December.