Seriously concerned about reports of security threats to the Dalit Sikhs in Shillong, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday decided to rush a four-member team, headed by Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, to the Meghalaya capital.
The team will make a ground assessment of the situation in the troubled areas of Shillong and extend all possible help to the Sikh community there, said an official spokesperson.
The Chief Minister has directed the team, including Amritsar MP Gurjit Aujla and ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu and Gill MlA Kuldip Singh Vaid as members, to leave for Shillong on Monday morning.
Capt Amarinder has sought Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s cooperation in facilitating the team’s visit, and ensuring their access to the areas from where reports of tension or trouble are coming in, said the spokesperson.
Amid reports of simmering tension, Capt Amarinder has also urged Sangma to provide full protection and safety for the Sikh community and their religious institutions in the state, said the spokesperson.
He said that the Chief Minister’s decision to send a team to Shillong was triggered by reports that despite Meghalaya Chief Minister’s personal assurance, the situation was still not under control and had the potential of escalating further.
Capt Amarinder has offered all possible help to Meghalaya government in ensuring the security of the Dalit Sikhs, whose ancestors were reportedly brought to Shillong during the British era. The Chief Minister said that if necessary, the Centre should intervene to defuse the communal tensions in which the Sikhs in Shillong are caught.