SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 16: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), Government of India, has taken a serious note of the eviction of 1984 Sikh riot victim families in Sindri by the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL) management.
In this regard, NCM research officer S Naseeb Ahmed shot off a letter on September 14 to the chairman cum managing director of FCIL, New Delhi for necessary action on the subject (eviction of beleaguered Sikh families in Sindri).
The NCM has acted on the representation of the Jharkhand Sikh Welfare Committee.
After the 1984 Sikh riot, the beleaguered Sikh families took shelter in Sindri Gurudwara for safety. After taking permission from FCIL Sindri management, the Gurudwara Committee settled the victim families on adjacent 0.54 acres of land granted by FCIL to it for garden development.
But six years later, FCI Estate Officer issued an order (28-5-1990) to the Gurudwara Committee to vacate the parking area allotted to it and demolish the residential construction (the houses of Sikh families).
After this, the Gurudwara Committee appealed against the FCIL management order in the local civil court. The court stayed the execution of the eviction order on April 28, 2003.
Now after the lapse of 19 years, the FCIL management has filed a new original suit against the Gurudwara Committee for vacating the said land where the victim families have been living.
Rattled by FCI’s new move, the Sikh Welfare Society Jharkhand sent a memorandum to the National Commission for Minorities for immediate intervention into the matter so that the victims do not face displacement for the third time after 1947.
Sikh Welfare Society Jharkhand President Sewa Singh said that the victim families do not know why FCI management woke up after 30 years to displace them. 50 members of 10 families have taken shelter there. They have no means to settle in another place.
“They were made refugees in 1947 for the first time. In 1984, they became refugees for the second time after the riot. Now, the FCI management has initiated a move to make them refugee for the third time. It is ironic that rather than giving compensation and quarter as per announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 1984 Sikh riot victims, the public sector management is displacing them,” said Sewa Singh.
Takhat Sri Harimandir Committee, Patna sets up committee
Meanwhile, Takhat Sri Harimandir Committee, Patna has set up a 3-member committee to probe the eviction order of FCIL Sindri management. General secretary of Takhat Sri Harimandir Committee Indrajit Singh, Jharkhand Sikh Welfare Society president Sardar Sewa Singh and Charanjit Singh are the members of this committee.
