New Delhi, January 20: The Delhi MLA and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) General Secretary Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa has categorically stated that there will no effect of reservation status for the Scheduled Castes if Sikhs are given separate identity by amending article 25 of the constitution.
In a statement released here today, Sirsa said that Sikhs were demanding their separate identity status by amending article 25 clause whereas reservation has been provided under the article 15 and 16 of the constitution. He said that it was very much clear that reservation was never made on the basis of the religion but provided on the basis of castes. He said that in India Muslim and Christian people do not get reservation because there is no caste system in their religions.
He also made it clear that reservation for any castes is made only when President of India notifies the same. He said that Government of India has even admitted in Supreme Court that until and unless there is quantifiable data to prove that a particular caste is at par for availing the reservation there can be no addition or subtraction in the scheduled list of reservation.
He questioned that if the Sikhs were part of Hindus then why reservation for there castes was not implemented along with Hindu community. He further questioned that had the sikh community not a separate entity then why they are accorded minority status in the country ? He said that this minority status of Sikhs clearly establishes the fact that Sikhs have their own separate identity and they need to accord constitutional status for it?
Sirsa said that he has seen media reports creating confusion on the reservation status for the Sikh community members and was hurt by such statements as these are contributing towards creating confusion and working an impediment in the way of the establishment of separate Sikh identity by amending the constitution.
