New Delhi: Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Iqbal Singh Lalpura on Wednesday said that Sikh children from Jammu and Kashmir were being sent to Punjab for studies by their families after the attacks on minorities in the valley intensified in the last few years.
In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Lalpura said that Sikhs in Kashmir were concerned over the attacks on minorities especially since the killing of the Sikh school principal in October last year.
"We have discussed this with the Governor and the Chief Secretary of J&K. The Sikhs there are a bit concerned after recent attacks on Minorities and also the killing of a Sikh principal in Srinagar (last year). Due to these fears, the Sikh families in the UT are sending their daughters to Punjab for studies," Lalpura told ETV Bharat.
On October 7, 2021, principal Supinder Kour (44) and Pandit teacher Deepak Chand were shot dead by terrorists in Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Sangam. Both were residents of Alochibagh in Srinagar. There was widespread condemnation against the killings in Jammu and Kashmir. Members of the Sikh community carried out rallies as a mark of protest against the killings.
The attacks on people belonging to minority communities have intensified in the valley in the last few years. As per the official data, 34 persons belonging to minority communities lost their lives in the terrorist-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir between 2017 and 2021. As per the data, a total of 11 people from the minority communities were killed in J&K in 2017 followed by three killings in 2018, six in 2019, three in 2020 and 11 in 2021.
Asked to comment on the issue of Sikh organizations demanding Punjabi to be recognized as an official language in Jammu and Kashmir and the establishment of a Commission for minorities there, Lalpura said: "We are seeing those developments there. We have also sent a letter to the administration there. We will send them another letter. The (Lieutenant) Governor there is doing an excellent job and these demands of Sikhs in the UT are being analyzed by the Commission."
Meanwhile, Lalpura also commented on the growing clamour against loudspeakers being used by Muslims in mosques. "One should keep in mind that professing one's religion should not disturb others. There is complete freedom in our beautiful country to propagate any religion but that should not create any hindrance and that there should be a check on containing noise pollution," the minority commission chief said.
As for the issue of the Uniform Civil Code, Lalpura said: "We haven't seen the draft yet. Let the concerned authorities create the draft first. Only then we can discuss the issue of bringing in the Uniform Civil Code." Asked about the demolition drives carried out primarily against Muslims in different parts of the country, Lalpura said: "Demolition drives are being done in areas which are illegally constructed. This is a law and order matter and the demolition drive is not being carried out as a form of punishment."
India for the third consecutive time has been marked as a Country of Particular Concern’ on religious freedom grounds, as per a US Commission report. Reacting to it, Lalpura said: "Who are they to tell us? Recently, hate crimes were being seen in the US. Look at the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, there are forceful conversions that have been carried out for decades which have reduced the percentage of Sikhs and Hindus there."
On religious conversion, Lalpura said that "we are not against any conversion but the issue is over the forceful and manipulated conversion. If someone is using force or is offering any financial assistance for conversion, then we are against it. It should be the inner will of the person if he/she wishes to convert."
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