Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir form non-political group to promote peace, uphold human rights

Jammu: A group of Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir have formed a non-political organisation to act as a “pressure group” to maintain peace and promote awareness on social and religious issues in the state, the new outfit’s chairman said on Saturday. The Supreme Sikh organisation would work to uphold human rights and fight the drug problem among youth, S Gurmeet Singh told reporters, announcing the formation of the organisation. [caption id=“attachment_3015260” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image . Reuters[/caption]   Singh was flanked by a dozen other executive members at the press conference. He said the group would be apolitical. The organisation would work to defeat “communal forces” trying to disturb peace and harmony in the state, he said. Without naming the communal forces, Singh said that two FIRs were filed recently against two persons after “they used derogatory language” against Sikhism in their posts on social media but unfortunately no action has been taken against them. “Our group will work as a pressure group to ensure people bent upon disturbing communal harmony are dealt with in accordance with the law and put behind bars,” he said. “We will not tolerate attack on any religion, Sikhism, Islam or Hinduism.” “We will reach out to the government with the demands of the Sikh community, and, if needed, we will not hesitate moving to the national level,” he said.