By NAK,
Jammu: Vehicular movement on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway was thrown out of gear for more than an hour following a protest demonstration by members of various Sikh organizations against the alleged atrocities against the members of their community by Taliban forces in North West Front Province (NWFP) of Pakistan.
Reports revealed that hundreds of Sikhs belonging to different organizations took to streets at several places in Jammu on Sunday morning and staged protest demonstrations against mass migration of Sikh community due to the atrocities being committed by the Taliban forces in North West Front Province (NWFP) of Pakistan.
A group of protestors, shouting anti-Pakistan and anti-Taliban slogans, assembled near Digana Ashram, in the outskirts of Jammu city this morning and held a protest demonstration. They blocked the Jammu-Pathankot for more than an hour but police adopted a complete restrain. The protestors later dispersed off peacefully.
Similar protest demonstrations were also held at Nanak Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Talab Tilloo and other places of Jammu.
The protesters, eyewitnesses told News Agency of Kashmir, burnt effigies of Taliban and Pakistan government.
They accused the Pakistan government of indifferent attitude towards providing security to the life and property of the minority community members in the tribal areas.
The protesters alleged that that Sikhs community has been subjected to the acts of barbarism in tribal areas of Pakistan. “How shameful is it that the people of a particular community have been asked to pay Jazia as a security for their life and security in their own country and people at the helm of affairs were watching like mute spectators”, Jasbir Singh one of the protestors told News Agency of Kashmir.
The protesters urged the UPA Government to put pressure on the Pakistan Government to ensure the security and safety of monitory communities in Pakistan.
One of the protesters, Harminder Singh said that Sikh community is a peace loving community and always respects all communities and religions. However, he warned that if anyone tries to hurt their sentiments, they should expect a befitting reply.
It is important to maintain here that resentment is mounting among the Sikh community after migration of the community members from the NWFP a tribal or Taliban dominated region of Pakistan, for allegedly being charged ‘jazia’ – a religious tax, which has been imposed by Pakistan Taliban on the Sikh community.
After the community members failed to pay ‘jazir’ Taliban fighter took over the possession of their residential houses and shops and allegedly damaged some of them. Following this, most of the community members migrated to Pakistani Punjab and other areas for the safety of their lives. (NAK)