Responding to the threatening calls to kill them by the militant organisation HNLC, the poor Sikh residents of Punjabi lane, Shillong dashed off an SOS letter to Conrad Sangma -Chief Minister of Meghalaya seeking his government’s immediate intervention to protect the fundamental rights of the residents of the place.  The Sikh residents are determined to protect the residents of the so-called Sweepers Colony, who have settled there for more than 200 years -who were invited by the British Indian army and who were given land by the then King of the area.

TAKING note of the highly provocative, threatening call of the HNLC to kill poor residents of Punjabi lane in Shillong, the Harijan Panchayat Committee has written to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, seeking his immediate intervention by providing security and protection to the residents of the area.

Gurjit Singh of the Harijan Panchayat Committee categorically stated that “we are only protecting the legitimate fundamental rights of the people of the Punjabi lane area.”

The HNLC threat reads, “We have the support of our people and we don’t mind taking military action. This is not only a warning when it comes to protecting the interests of the people, but they shall also press the trigger and their people will fall to our bullets.”

The Harijan Panchayat Committee believes that it is an attempt by the HNLC to stop them from initiating contempt proceedings against the Shillong Municipal Board which has issued notices even though there is a stay by the High Court, the National Commission for Minorities and the National Human Rights Commission.

Banned militant outfit HNLC openly threatens to kill Shillong Sikhs

The letter to the Chief Minister states that “the Shillong Municipal Board is deliberately harassing the Sikhs and other residents of the area. The Shillong Municipal Board has all the details that it wants from the area. They have done a survey of the area a year ago. More than 70 per cent of the residents of the area are the employees of SMB.  Moreover, if they want any more details that they require can easily gather from details of the power connections, voters list and ration cards.”

The Harijan Panchayat Committee leader Gurjit Singh has said that “The HNLC is misleading the people of the state through false propaganda. Our colony has people of all religions and generation after generation, we are settled here for more than 200 years. We are not outsiders.  We are poor, hard-working people and the allegation of a rich, lavish lifestyle by HNLC is hogwash.”

He further added that “there was total peace in the area and there has been no anti-social activity or criminal activity by residents of the area. A quick review of the cases at the local police station will show that the residents of the area are peace-loving people and the allegations of HNLC are mere insinuations against us.”

The poor Harijans of the Punjabi lane area are residents of the place since they were invited by the British army some 200 years ago. Even prior to 1863 the Syiem of Mylliem -the traditional king of the place allotted them the place and this was affirmed by a declaration by the present King in 2008.  The Sikh settlers have adequate documentation to prove this.

We appeal to all right-thinking people, human rights activists and organisations to raise voice in our favour and create a climate of peace in the region.

The Sikh residents of the area have appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and the Punjab government to respond to their call for assistance and protection.

The poor Harijans of the Punjabi lane area are residents of the place since they were invited by the British army some 200 years ago. Even prior to 1863 the Syiem of Mylliem -the traditional king of the place allotted them the place and this was affirmed by a declaration by the present King in 2008.

We have family and social contacts with the people of Punjab and therefore if social and political leaders come forward to help us there is nothing wrong in that and the HNLC should not worry about the intervention of Punjabis at large.

ਹਰੀਜਨ ਪੰਚਾਇਤ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੇਨ ਸ਼ਿਲੌਂਗ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਬੁਨਿਆਦੀ ਹੱਕਾਂ ਲਈ ਲੜਨ ਦਾ ਪੱਕਾ ਆਇਦ

Countering the claim of HNLC which said that they are not seeking land in Punjab, the Harijan Panchayat Committee retorted by saying, “Sikhs have a large heart and we will be happy to request Sikhs in Punjab to help people from this region to settle there in case someone chooses too.”

In a media statement, DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa has said that the DSGMC takes a serious note of the threat to the Sikhs in Shillong by the banned militant outfit HNLC and has urged the government to intervene at the earliest.