Deputy Chief Minister
attends annual Jod Mela at Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji, R S Pura
JAMMU, MARCH 28: Deputy Chief Minister,
Surinder Kumar Choudhary, today attended the annual Jod Mela and Gurmat Samagam
at Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji in Khour, R S Pura.
The Deputy Chief Minister reaffirmed the
commitment of the government towards addressing the issues and concerns of the
community with sincerity and urgency. He encouraged the Sangat to uphold the
timeless teachings of the Sikh Gurus, emphasizing their legacy of compassion,
unity and justice.
S. Ranjit Singh Tohra, President, District
Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DGPC) Jammu, and S. Ranvir Singh, Joint
Secretary, DGPC Jammu, addressed the gathering with religious discourses.
They voiced concerns over social evils and
outlined pressing issues faced by the Sikh community, urging the government to
act swiftly. Key demands included recognizing Punjabi as an official language
of Jammu & Kashmir (UT), introducing Punjabi as an optional subject in
schools, and increasing the availability of Punjabi teachers.
They also called for amendments to the
Sikh Religious and Endowment Act, 1973, to align with Sikh Rehat Maryada,
implementation of the Anand Marriage Act for independent Sikh marriage
registration and the establishment of a Minority Commission to protect the Sikh
rights in J&K.
The event witnessed presence of S Ranjit
Singh Tohra, President, DGPC Jammu; S Ranvir Singh, Joint Secretary, DGPC
Jammu; DGPC members, S Avtar Singh, S Karan Singh Bali and S Gurmeet Singh
besides Rattan Lal Gupta, Rakesh Singh
and other dignitaries.