After meeting the Sikh Sangat at the Gurdwara Sahib in the Punjabi Lane area early this morning, the DSGMC delegation led by President Manjinder Singh Sirsa submitted an exhaustive memorandum to the Governor of Meghalaya Mr Satya Pal Malik, challenging the recent orders of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya -Conrad Sangma and seeking his immediate intervention to save the poor Sikh settlers, who are residing in this area at Them-Iew Mawlong, Bara Bazaar, Shillong for more than two centuries.  WSN Reports.

Continuing the three-year-long DSGMC campaign in favour of the poor Sikhs of Shillong, DSGMc president Manjinder Singh Sirsa capped it today by submitting a detailed legally-worded memorandum to the Governor of Meghalaya Mr Satya Pal Malik seeking his urgent intervention to stop the Meghalaya government from forcibly relocating the poor Sikhs residing in the Punjabi Lane -Harijan Colony of Shillong.

Since trouble broke out in Shillong for the Sikhs in 2018, DSGMC has provided full logistical and legal support to the Sikhs.  Speaking to the Sangat, Manjinder Singh Sirsa assured of all help to protect their rights.

Petitioning the Governor, the DSGMC memorandum states that the DSGMC is a statutory and autonomous body managing Gurdwaras and Sikh educational and health institutions and concerned with the welfare of the Sikhs.

“The Tripartite agreement to take over land, as proposed by the High-Level Committee of the Meghalaya government with the Shillong Municipal Board and the Syiem of Hima Mylliem is patently illegal, says the memorandum. Quoting the records of the tribal king Syiem of Hima Mylliem, who is the owner of the property as per customary law, Manjinder Singh Sirsa has quoted that in 2008 it was confirmed that the property vests with the poor Sikhs, “since the plot of land was allotted to them (the Harijan community) long time back by the predecessors of Syiem of Hima Mylliem.”

The memorandum also pointed out that  the agreement dated 4 January 1954 of the Shillong Municipal Board and Syiem of Mylliem clearly stated that, “…the portion of the Sweeper’s Lane will continue to be used as heretofore, i.e., for accommodating for the sweeper’s quarters and not to be used for any other purpose.”

Challenging the current statement of the Advocate General of the state of Meghalaya and the Chief Minister of the state that all legally sound decisions will be taken, the Memorandum recalls the statement of the Advocate General after the first meeting of the High-Level Committee as reported in the media that, “..all actions have to be done in accordance with the law. Whatever actions that had been taken in the past was interfered with by the Court because Shilong Municipal Board or authority concerned had not followed the steps/procedure laid down as per Law. If Govt. or Shillong Municipal Board, in this case, is the rightful owner, then the action to be followed has to be guided by the Meghalaya Public Premises Act.”

Manjinder Singh Sirsa has clarified that this is being cited without prejudice to the rights of the Harijan Panchayat Committee to challenge this. It is an admission by the AG that illegal acts have been done in the past.

The DSGMC delegation comprising Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, Gurmeet Singh Bhatia, Jaspreet Singh Karmsar and Manjinder Singh Sirsa reached Shillong to a rousing welcome by the Sikh Sangat there in the hall of the new Gurdwara building under construction.

Harijan Panchayat Committee secretary Gurjit Singh, speaking to the World Sikh News said, “We are grateful to the DSGMC leadership for holding our hands in this hour of need. Our people will always remember their timely intervention on our behalf. We now hope that we will not be forcibly evicted, still, we urge the Sikh leadership to maintain eternal vigilance.”