Caring too hoots for the status quo orders of the High Court of Meghalaya, the National Commission for Minorities and the assurances given by the Governor of Meghalaya to Sikh delegations, in a conspiratorial move involving the Meghalaya government, the traditional king -Syiem of Hima Mylliem and the Shillong Municipal Board, the government of Meghalaya has taken technical possession of the land of Punjabi lane on which reside more than 400 Sikh families, who have been living there for two centuries. WSN editor Jagmohan Singh, who has been keeping a close eye on the developments in Shillong examines the future possibilities for the beleaguered Shillong Sikhs.

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, close to 2000 Sikhs have been living in fear in the Punjabi Lane area of Shillong which is now prime land for the government of Meghalaya, which wants to beautify the city by dislocating the permanent residents there. The Meghalaya state’s Urban Affairs Ministry has taken over the land of the poor Sikh residents, admeasuring 12,444.13 square metres and having a Sikh Gurdwara, a Hindu place of worship which includes a Shiv Mandir, a Valmiki Mandir and a Durga Mandir as well as a CNI Church in the area.

The Deputy Chief Minister, mocking the Sikhs said, “a beautification drive of the area will be soon taken up as the area is ‘unfit for human habitation’ and also gave a veiled challenge to the Sikhs saying, “the state government has plans to relocate Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dabar and a school from there.”

Significantly, for the first time in the last three years, the Deputy Chief Minister while making the announcement of possession of the land said that “NGOs from outside Meghalaya are free to visit Shillong and share their grievances and concerns with the government.”

Is someone listening, please?

Earlier this month, following the submission of a report by the High-Level Committee of the government of Meghalaya headed by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, the state cabinet gave finality to a tripartite lease deed for the land with the Syiem (king-like chieftain) of Hima Mylliem and the Shillong Municipal Board for taking over the land where the Harijan Colony or Punjabi Lane stands. As part of the land possession deal, Rupees Two crores were paid as lease premium to the Syiem of Hima Mylliem.

The Harijan Panchayat Committee and the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar have been putting up a relentless struggle to save their home and hearth, knocking on all doors of the Sikh community from Delhi to Amritsar, the doors of the Punjab government and Sikh Diaspora organisations. 

The Harijan Panchayat Committee has clear status quo orders of the Meghalaya High Court, the National Commission for Minorities, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis and the National Human Rights Commission.  The moot point is whether ‘all the king’s horses and all the kings’ men will be able to tame the Meghalaya government, which is under pressure from the land mafia lobby and some disgruntled local student unions.

The moot point is whether ‘all the king’s horses and all the kings’ men will be able to tame the Meghalaya government, which is under pressure from the land mafia lobby and some disgruntled local student unions.

Except for the DSGMC, which has provided regular legal assistance and the SGPC which has supported the building of the Gurdwara Sahib, no effective political and social steps have been taken by anyone to save their situation.  In the initial period, when the trouble started in 2018, United Sikhs had also intervened.

Today, with the families dispossessed of their land, as per the government announcements, it will take a herculean intervention by the Sikh community to save the residences of the poor Sikhs. 

Of course, we will be free to cry over spilt milk, in case we do not do anything. If Sikhs fail to get their act together now, we will definitely witness breast-beating and “Oh, it is an RSS game” against drama. 

WSN is categorical. Whosoever’s game this is, the writing is on the wall. Shillong Sikhs, though determined to fight back, are counting hours, not days. 

President of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar – Gurjit Singh, who has been single-handedly rebutting all moves of the Meghalaya government in the most diligent and honest manner possible during the last three decades, as the matter has been simmering for a very long time, told The World Sikh News, “We will fight back. We will die here in the Punjabi Lane, but will not move an inch.  Relocation will be over our dead bodies.”

“We are in the throes of a legitimate struggle and will soon start the next phase of the battle for our land, while our legal recourse will continue like before,” he added.

During his recent visit to Shillong, DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa vowed to take thousands of Sikhs to Shillong for protecting the Shillong Sikhs and also to hire the best of legal brains to counter the illegal moves of the government of Meghalaya.  

It is time for this to happen. Today, not tomorrow.

During his recent visit to Shillong, DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa vowed to take thousands of Sikhs to Shillong for protecting the Shillong Sikhs and also to hire the best of legal brains to counter the illegal moves of the government of Meghalaya. It is time for this to happen. Today, not tomorrow.

The Sikh world is observing the anniversary of the massacre of November 1984. It is shocking and disturbing that the Meghalaya government of NPP-led Conrad K. Sangma and the BJP is rubbing salt on Sikh wounds.

The Harijan Panchayat Committee has been crying hoarse with regular SOS messages. The poor Sikhs continue to beckon us for immediate and strong intervention.  

“Do Poor Sikhs Lives Matter!”

The World Sikh News has been leading the campaign to save the Shillong Sikhs. While we have been able to excite a small section of the community, given the retarded response of the community, we are restrained to express in disbelief, “Do Poor Sikhs Lives Matter!”