Jammu & Kashmir

‘Incident involving Sikh woman blown out of proportion’

‘Never see shameful incidents through the prism of religion’

‘Non-local Sikhs trying to create wedge between Sikhs, Muslims in Kashmir’

Srinagar: At a time when a section of the Sikh community is up in arms alleging ‘abduction’ of women from its community in Kashmir capital Srinagar, a Muslim family from central Kashmir’s Pakharpora in a complaint to police has claimed that a non-local JCB driver from Sikh community has eloped their 20-year-old daughter.

Some non-local Sikh leaders who arrived in Kashmir yesterday used the words like ‘forced conversion’, ‘abduction’ of Sikh women in Kashmir.

Majinder Singh Sisa president Delhi Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee yesterday claimed that at least 3 women from the Sikh community have been forcibly ‘converted’ after their ‘abduction.’ He even questioned the conviction and rectitude of the Judiciary accusing a Judge of ‘bias’ and ‘favoritism’. He reminded Kashmiri Muslims of the help provided by ‘Khalsa Aid’ during the devastating floods in 2014.

“Not everyone from the Sikh community agrees with what Majinder Singh Sisa said. Both communities live in harmony for centuries in Kashmir and we don’t support and subscribe to the politics that is being played over a solitary incident,” said a young Sikh from the community on condition of anonymity.

There are numerous incidents that don’t find any space in print, electronic or social media wherein Muslim women ‘eloped’ (abduction is not a suitable word) with non-Muslims in Kashmir-a fact which is hard to digest.

Affected families in most cases remain silent to save themselves from the embarrassment and scornful attitude of their relatives and neighbors.

A couple of months ago, a woman from a Chadoora village went missing. The family lodged a report at Police Station claiming that a non-local from Assam has eloped her.

In another police station from Srinagar city, a report was submitted wherein parents claimed that a non-Muslim tried to elope her daughter.

Dozens of missing reports of women get registered on daily basis in police stations. In most of the cases, that police investigate, it surfaces that women fled away with their male companions willingly.

“The incident involving a Sikh woman was blown out of proportion. The incident attracted attention just because the female was from the minority community,” said a Sikh who was part of a press conference held in Srinagar on Tuesday where participants castigated non-local Sikh leaders for trying to create a wedge between Sikhs and Muslims in Kashmir.

Paramjeet Sarna, president of one of the factions of Shrimoni Akali Dal also said that Sikhs and Muslims are living in harmony in Kashmir while some vested interest elements are trying to widen the gap between the two communities. He said the Sikh woman in question has not married in the court and today she was formally wedded to a Sikh youth.

Meanwhile, a police official said they will constitute a team to ascertain the location of the non-local from Punjab who according to the father of the woman is the culprit and has eloped her daughter. Police have registered a formal FIR vide number 79/2021 under section 366 in this regard.

On 4 June this month, the father of a woman from Syedpora Harwan reported at the police station that her daughter was abducted by a non-local carpenter namely Arvind Gill of Punjab. Police acted swiftly and on the next day recovered the lady and kidnapper from Udhampur and brought them to Harwan.

Similarly, police recently arrested a 17-year-old non-local along with an abducted woman from Srinagar. A formal FIR vide number 3/2021 under section 366-IPC against the guy stands registered. (KNT)

 

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