Who is Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Pakistani Punjab's first Sikh minister?

Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, a legislator from Pakistan’s Narowal district, scripted history on Wednesday as he became the first member of the Sikh community to take the oath as a minister in Punjab province, representing the minority in the provincial assembly.

He was sworn in as a minister in the cabinet of the newly elected Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaf Sharif, the daughter of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, according to News18.

The ceremony was held at the Governor’s House in Lahore.

The 48-year-old, who hails from Narowal’s Kartarpur, while speaking to The Indian Express, said, “It is for the first time since partition in 1947 that a Sikh has been inducted in the cabinet of Punjab province. I won’t just work for the safety and well-being of Sikhs but all minorities, including Hindus and Christians living in Pakistan.”

Here’s all we know about him.

About Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora

Born in Nankana Sahib, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora holds a postgraduate degree in entrepreneurship and SME management from Government College University in Lahore, according to PTI.

His family has been associated with the protection and welfare of the Sikh holy sites at Kartarpur.

According to The Indian Express report, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora revealed that during the 1947 partition, his family opted to remain in Pakistan rather than migrate to India, unlike the majority of Sikh and Hindu families. “I was born in Nankana Sahib but later we moved to Narowal. My grandfather had chosen to stay back in Pakistan during the partition at the insistence of his dear friend. Just for the sake of friendship, he had chosen to stay back,” he said.

Before entering politics, he worked for the World Bank’s Poverty Reduction Programme in Pakistan.

In 2008, Arora founded the Mojaz Foundation, a charity that helps Pakistan’s underprivileged people.

His political journey

According to Arora’s profile on the Punjab Assembly website, he was elected to the provincial assembly of Punjab in 2020 for a second consecutive term, as per PTI.

During his first term in the Punjab legislature, which ran from 2013 to 2018, he became the first Sikh politician since 1947. During the years 2014–17 and 2017–18, Arora presided over the standing committees on investment and commerce and human rights and minorities issues, respectively.

His profile also says he was a key player in the enactment of “The Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Act 2018,” which made Pakistan the first nation to implement the Sikh Marriages Registration Act.

In addition, he held positions as general secretary of the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) from 2009 to 2013, a member of the National Commission for Minorities under the Ministry of National Harmony from 2011 to 2013, and a member of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in the Government of Punjab.

In the recent Pakistani elections, Arora was re-elected as MPA from Narowal. He was also appointed as “Ambassador at Large” for the Kartarpur Corridor last year, succeeding Sardar Ameer Singh, according to to Hindustan Times.

The Kartarpur Corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, India. Former PM Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019 to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, facilitating Indian Sikh pilgrims’ visa-free visits to one of their religion’s holiest sites in Pakistan, as per the news agency.

His nomination as president of the PSGPC also coincided with a critical period in which initiatives were being undertaken to conserve cultural heritage places, such as Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, and to encourage religious tourism.

According to News18, is brother-in-law, Manjit Singh Pinka, was wanted by India for the 1984 hijacking of IC 405, which ran from Srinagar to Lahore, hence, his latest appointment is not without controversy.

His goals

It’s expected that Arora will be given the minority affairs post, according to the Indian Express.

In spite of the difficulties minorities in the Muslim-majority country face — such as the declining numbers of Sikhs and Hindus — Arora is upbeat about the future.

He said in a phone interview with The Indian Express that in addition to the Sikh population, he is dedicated to helping all minorities living in Pakistan, including Christians and Hindus.

In his ideal Pakistan, minorities would have equal access to basic infrastructure and opportunities.

To protect the safety and security of all minority groups, he emphasised his plans to address minority welfare, the necessity of putting laws like the Sikh Marriage Act into effect and creating an Interfaith Harmony Policy.

“We will also ensure that the two per cent quota for minority students in educational institutions of Pakistan is implemented in letter and spirit,” he told the newspaper.

With inputs from agencies