[Reader-list] 'Threat To Sikhs Baseless, Concocted Lie'

[Aditya Raj Baul]

 'Threat To Sikhs Baseless, Concocted Lie'

http://www.kashmirobserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5301:threat-to-sikhs-baseless-concocted-lie-govt-&catid=3:regional-news&Itemid=4

Srinagar Aug 20, KONS-The state government and the top Hurriyat
leadership today strongly denied the report published in a New Delhi
newspaper regarding alleged harassment of some members of Sikh
community in Kashmir. Both have termed it as baseless and concocted
propaganda against Kashmiri people.

A government spokesman termed the report “a deliberate attempt to
malign the strong secular image of the people of Kashmir outside the
state”.
He said that letters written by some anonymous mischievous person
can’t be projected as view of majority as has been done by the said
newspaper.
The spokesman said that all the communities are living amicably in the
valley and cited the instance of a group of people (Muslims) who
performed last rites of their neighbour belonging to Pandit community
just the other day.
Spokesman, while terming the story published by the newspaper as a
figment of imagination and sheer falsehood said that the valley of
Kashmir is the bedrock of strong, secular ideology, which has been
established by it during all the testing times.
He further said that news report is aimed at creating confusion at a
time when the situation was slowly moving towards normalcy.
He cited the successful example of Amarnath Yatra in which lakhs of
devotees paid obeisance at holy cave with the people of Kashmir warmly
facilitating their pilgrimage.
He said it seems handiwork of those elements, who are bent on creating
wedge between various communities to foment trouble.  He said that
recently three weeks before one isolated ugly incident which occurred
at Tral was unanimously condemned by entire population.
Meanwhile
Kashmiri Sikhs too have refuted  the reports saying they were safe in
the Valley.
"What was the need to send these letters? If any genuine organization
wanted to do this, they would have used their letterhead. We can say
that this can even be the handiwork of a central or state govt backed
group," said Indumeet Singh, the Chairman of the United Sikh Front
Kashmir.
"We don't have any problem here, we are living here for the past 20
years in the midst of so much of militancy, and we never faced any
such problems," he added.
"Whenever we had any problem, the Muslim brethren have always been
there to help us.
Meanwhile, top Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani reassured Sikh
community of his total support saying they shouldn't feel threatened
and should, in fact, ignore the fake letters. He added that nobody
would force them to join the protests.
"This certainly is job of some vested interest who are out to harm our
movement which is based on justice and fairplay," Geelani said.
Chairman of the moderate Hurriyat conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq to
has strongly denounced the reports.
In his sermon at Jamia mosque today, Mirwaiz said this conspiracy has
been hatched at this stage by various agencies only to defame the
noble struggle of Kashmiri people which has unnerved the powers.
He reassured minorities in Kashmir, including Sikhs, to feel safe as
their Muslim brethren were behind them as a solid shield adding
"together we will defeat such elements".