Sikh leaders visit Handwara (Kashmir), express solidarity with families of victims

Handwara, Kashmir: A joint delegation of Sikh leaders of various Sikh organizations Monday visited Handwara and Kupwara in north Kashmir. The delegation expressed solidarity with the families of youth who were killed and injured in recent armed forces action.

“Delegation of Sikh intellectuals circle Jammu and Kashmir Shiroman Akali Dal (Amritsar), International Sikh Federation and Sikh students Federation lead by S Narinder Singh Khalsa and comprising of S Amanjit Singh, S Manjit Singh, S Amandip Singh, S Manmohan Singh, S Satman Singh and S Surindar Singh after meeting the families of Handwara Firing victims and civil society members in Handwara have sought probe by independent International Agencies and revocation of Armed forces special power Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir,” said spokesperson in a statement.

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Sikh delegation said. “The people of Kashmir are highly terrorized and alienated due to the fact that every so called probe of Government in past has proved to be an eyewash unfortunately state Government as well as most of the media under the influence of rightwing fundamentalists are adopting different yardsticks vis-à-vis Handwara and NIT incidents.”

They appealed the world community and human rights bodies to take serious note of such state sponsored brutality unarmed innocent Kashmiris.

“While expressing sympathy and solidarity with the victims of Handwara and people of Kashmir, Sikh Leaders felt that genuine aspirations of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed with bullets and force and said resolution of Kashmir issue as per wishes and aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir is must for durable peace in entire South Asia,” the spokesman said.