GUWAHATI: The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Friday took up the issue of displacement of 40 Sikh families by the Cantonment Board in Shillong with Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
A Sikh delegation led by Manjinder Singh Sirsa, general secretary of DSGMC, met Purohit here and brought to his notice that houses of these Sikh families as well as some Hindus and Christians were demolished though they have been living there for the last two centuries.
The delegation also sought his intervention in the matter of demolition of the Langar Hall of Gurudwara Sahib.
DSGMC told the governor that the Gurudwara and the Sikh school in the vicinity will also be demolished to make way for the construction of a shopping mall and other multi-storeyed buildings.
The Governor was also informed that the minority communities particularly Sikhs residing in Meghalaya had been deprived of benefits of the Central schemes meant for the minority communities.
Sirsa said such a decision was clear violation of the constitutional provision.
Purohit instructed his Principal Secretary to take up the matter with Chief Secretary Y. Tsering. He instructed that Chief Secretary be told to issue suitable orders to reinstate families in their prior locations without any delay on humanitarian grounds.
He also directed against damage to the gurudwara, school or any other minority institution.
Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Committee, general secretary and Sheromini Akali Dal MLA from Rajouri Garden, New Delhi Manjinder Singh Sirsa visited the city Gurudwara and also promised to release more funds for the city Guruwara Sahib Building.