The Diplomat Desk
Anantnag, During the first phase of assembly elections, members of the Sikh community in various villages in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district cast their votes, hoping that the new government will grant them minority status.
Voters expressed to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) their desire for a representative who will advocate for the inclusion of Punjabi as an official language.
Sadbir Singh Sodi, a voter at the Bongund polling station in the Mattan area, said, “In the past, we have been overlooked by every government. This time, we are optimistic about being granted minority status, which would provide us with job reservations in Jammu and Kashmir.”
He said the Sikh community has long sought the recognition of Punjabi as an official language, but their requests have largely gone unaddressed. “In Anantnag district alone, Sikhs reside in 14 villages, yet we often feel taken for granted,” he added.
Another voter, Tablog Singh, said, “Development is the right of every individual but there are some specific demands of the Sikh community which need to be addressed.”
“The long-standing demands for minority status and the inclusion of Punjabi as an official language must be prioritised once the new government is in place,” he asserted. “We came to the polling booths with the hope of finally having our issues resolved.”—(KNO)
