Srinagar, 29-Dec; All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Wednesday alleged that the successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir have neglected the community and have been discriminated against.Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, the chairman of APSCC, Jagmohan Singh Raina, said that despite meeting the Delimitation Commission headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Desai, no reservation has been earmarked for the Sikhs even though they demanded it in the meeting and it was also mentioned in the memorandum submitted to the commission. Raina said that the cold-shouldered attitude of the commission means that the basic rights of Jammu and Kashmir will not be extended to the Sikh community in the forthcoming delimitation of assembly segments.Reiterating a demand of reservation of four seats for the Sikhs in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, Raina said all governments of Jammu & Kashmir in the past have deliberately ignored the basic issues of the Sikh community in the garb of turmoil. “The issues have piled up. We fail to understand the measuring rod used by the people at the helm to measure or understand the problems of Sikhs of Jammu & Kashmir. We have been neglected and discriminated all along and even in the new set up of Union Territory.” He said the government is not conducting elections of Gurudwara Parbhandak Committees even though they are due to be conducted under the J&K Gurudwara Endowment Act 1973 by Financial Commissioner (Revenue).Although DDC elections and polls for local bodies have been held over the past three years, no step is being taken to hold elections of Gurudwara Parbhandak Committees. “Since elections have not been held, mismanagement and financial irregularities have come up in many districts with the same leading to litigation. By delaying elections of Gurudwara Parbhandak Committees Sikh community in Jammu & Kashmir feels bad about the government conduct towards them.”The APSCC demanded that the government should come forward and help the community in consolidating the property of the community attached with various Gurudwaras. “Many vested interests have developed among influential people from within the community and outside the community to grab the property of Sikh community in both the provinces
