Obama in India: APSCC asks Sikhs in Kashmir to remain vigilant

SRINAGAR: A Sikh organisation today asked people of Kashmir to remain vigilant and foil any attempts to target the minority communities in the valley ahead of the visit of US President Barack Obama to India.

"We apprehend that members of minority community may be targeted by the people with vested interests to create fear-psychosis among the masses," All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said.

He said people should remain vigilant so that such eventuality is avoided and there is no disturbance in Kashmir.

"Members of both majority and minorities communities are living in harmony and they should continue to do so without any confusion. The onus is more on majority community and they should protect the interests of minorities. Since there are inputs that minorities might be targeted, it becomes all more imperative for majority community to ensure the safety of the minority community members," Raina said.

The APSCC chairman said in the past when any important political personality visited India, minorities in Kashmir came under threat. "During the visit of then US President Bill Clinton in March 2000, 35 Sikhs were killed in Chattisinghpora in Anantnag," he said.

Raina said people should keep a close watch so that such an act was not repeated.

"Almost 15 years have passed ever since Chattisinghpora incident took place but till date people who killed those innocents have not been identified. No probe was ordered in the incident and truth never came out. Then US President in a book authored by him later on expressed apologies that it was due to his visit that innocent Sikhs got killed in Kashmir," he added.

Raina said when Obama visited India in November 2010, Sikhs living in Upalna and Hutmurah villages of Baramulla and Anantnag districts respectively got terrified when some people knocked at their doors in the dead of the night.

"No probe was ordered into the matter to unravel the truth and mystery continues till today," he said.