Even as the issue of eviction of Sikhs living in Meghalaya’s Shillong is yet to be fully resolved, fear of eviction is looming large over a section of the community based in the Punjabi Camp Colony of Mumbai in Maharashtra.
In a press release here, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday said some community representatives from Mumbai took up the issue of possible eviction with the committee president Gobind Singh Longowal and other office-bearers who are on a visit to Mumbai. Raghbir Singh and Kulwant Singh from Mumbai also handed over a memorandum to Longowal.
The SGPC said there is big colony in Mumbai which is known as ‘Punjabi Camp’. The government allotted this place in 1957 to the Sikhs migrated from Pakistan territory in 1947. This colony is home of as many as 1200 Sikh families. Now the government has ordered them to vacate this colony citing that land of this colony is on government’s name, states the release.
Both the leaders urged the SGPC office-bearers to help them and take up the matter with the Maharashtra government. They said three Sikh educational institutions named after Guru Nanak Dev are also being run in the colony. They said they understand that condition of the houses in this colony is not fine and they are ready to construct new houses but they cannot afford eviction.
{{/usCountry}}Both the leaders urged the SGPC office-bearers to help them and take up the matter with the Maharashtra government. They said three Sikh educational institutions named after Guru Nanak Dev are also being run in the colony. They said they understand that condition of the houses in this colony is not fine and they are ready to construct new houses but they cannot afford eviction.
{{/usCountry}}Accompanied by SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk and chief secretary Roop Singh, Longowal assured them to raise the issue with the state government.
In May, riots had broken out in Meghalaya’s capital after a scuffle between girls of Punjabi Colony and a Khasi bus driver. The stand-off continued for nearly a week. This snowballed in a major issue with locals demanding relocation of Punjab Lane. In July, the Meghalaya high court had stayed their relocation.