Attack on Sikhs: NCM for inquiry

Taking serious note of the alleged atrocities on Sikh pilgrims to Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district of Uttaranchal, the National Commission ...

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Taking serious note of the alleged atrocities on Sikh pilgrims to Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district of Uttaranchal, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has directed the state government to conduct a probe into the incident and report the findings within a week.

On a petition by the Hemkund Sahib Trust and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, NCM chairman Tarlochan Singh summoned Chamoli DM Madan Singh and directed Uttaranchal Chief Secretary Madhukar Gupta to probe the matter. The commission was upset that the innocent Sikh pilgrims who were attacked and injured were charged by the police and arrested.

Locals earn their livelihood from the Hemkund Sahib Yatra which starts from May and continues till October every year. More than two lakh Sikhs visit the shrine every year.

Since June 29, the day some Sikh pilgrims reportedly clashed with local shopkeepers at Ganghriya, three kilometres from Hemkund Sahib, there has been tension between locals and the Sikh pilgrims. Pilgrims allege the shopkeepers are always out to fleece them. ‘‘One chapatti costs Rs 10 and a cup of tea Rs 6 at these dhabas,’’ says Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Ropar on his way back from Hemkund Sahib. However, shopkeepers argue that carriage charges for goods and eatables transported to Ganghriya add to the price.