Government vows to protect Kashmir Sikhs (Second lead)

NEW DELHI - Amid uproar in both houses of parliament, the government Friday assured that it was committed to the safety of Sikhs in the Kashmir Valley where some Sikh families have reportedly received anonymous letters from extremists asking them to either embrace Islam or leave.

The Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned for half an hour after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded a clarification from the government. The Lok Sabha witnessed heated exchanges. While External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Home Minister P. Chidambaram made statements in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke in the lower house.

“The government is fully aware of (the threats). Not only the Muslims of the valley but whole India will rise to protect Sikhs. It a small section of terrorists and extremists (that has threatened them) and I assure you that nobody is with them,” Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha after an uproar.

In the Rajya Sabha, the issue was taken up by the BJP soon after question hour. As Deputy Chairman K. Rehman Khan called for laying the papers, BJP members rose from their seats demanding a reply from the prime minister on the situation of minorities in Kashmir.

“The prime minister has said Kashmir is a part of India, then why are Sikhs being forced to leave the valley,” BJP member S.S. Ahluwalia asked.

Krishna then said in the upper house: “The protection of minorities is a concern of the government and we will strive to see that minorities, wherever they are, remain protected. It is a fact that Kashmir is a part and parcel of India, there is no ambiguity and we are not open to any talks on this issue.”

Krishna’s assurance, however, did not pacify the members and their protests forced the house to be adjourned briefly. The home minister later stressed that Sikhs in the Valley need not fear.

“We are aware of the so-called threat but there is nothing to fear. The chief minister (Omar Abdullah) has assured that the Sikh community will be given protection,” said Chidambaram.

The home minister told the house that the central government has been in talks with the state government for ensuring the safety of Sikhs in the Valley.

“Let the house be assured that the state and centre are working together and Sikhs will be protected,” Chidambaram said.

He also informed the House that he will soon be meeting a Sikh delegation which has expressed the desire discuss the issue.

Stating that he was aware of a Sikh being attacked in the valley, Chidambaram said: “There has been one incident where the rights of a person belonging to Sikh community were violated.”

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Rattan Singh Ajnala raised the issue in the Lok Sabha when the house met at 11 a.m. He referred to media reports about the letters threatening Sikhs if they did not join the protests against civilian killings in the valley.

The SAD member said Sikhs had “offered maximum sacrifices in the India-Pakistan wars and this is what we are getting in return”.

National Conference MP from Kashmir Mehboob Beg condemned the incident and said the “entire Kashmiri Muslim community was with their Sikh brethren and will ensure their safety at any cost”.

“After I read the report, I feel we are as much hurt as you are. Every Kashmiri Muslim will fight against it. This is a conspiracy by a few extremist elements to damage the communal harmony in the valley,” Beg said.

The 60,000-strong Sikh community is the single largest minority group in the valley after Hindus fled in the early 1990s when the armed separatist war backed by Pakistan erupted in Jammu and Kashmir.

The All Party Sikh Coordination Committee (ASCC) has alleged that several community members have received these letters.

Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani has reassured the Sikhs saying they should not feel threatened and ignore the “fake letters”. He has assured the community that nobody would force them to join the protests.

Speaking to reporters outside parliament, Congress member Saifuddin Soz said that the valley belongs as much to the Sikhs as to Muslims.

“The letters which have been sent don’t represent the intentions of the Muslims in the valley… an investigation must be made into this,” he said.