Delhi Sikhs protest abduction, forcible conversion of granthi's daughter in Pakistan
Sep 21, 2020
New Delhi [India], September 21 : Members of the Sikh community in Delhi staged a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission here on Monday against the abduction of the Panja Sahib head granthi's daughter in Pakistan and her forcible conversion to Islam.
Pakistan in the past has been guilty of religious persecution in the past, carrying out forcible conversions of Sikhs to Islam. The protestors were seen carrying placards that read "Stop religious persecutions of Sikhs in Pakistan" and messages demanding justice for the abducted girl in Pakistan.
The protesters shouted, "Pakistan, haye, haye!" and "(Prime Minister) Imran Khan, haye, haye".
"This has been going on for years where the Sikh community has been subjected to violence in Pakistan. Girls have been abducted and are subjected to forcible conversions. The whole country must be involved in this fight," said MS Sirsa, chief, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Mgmt Committee, Delhi told reporters here.
Sirsa said that in the last three months, close to 55 girls have been abducted and converted forcibly. "The abduction of Panja Sahib's head granthi's daughter is repugnant. Even if we have to go to the United Nations or to Pakistan, we will continue this fight till the end," he added.
He called the abductions "a huge conspiracy" against the Sikh community. "They abducted the daughter of our head granthi and want to convert her to Islam. They abducted a 17-year-old girl and the father is appealing for saving his daughter. This is Aurangzeb-like rule in the country," he said. He added, "The way Aurangzeb used to force religious conversions, today's Prime Minister Imran Khan is also working like Aurangzeb which would not be tolerated."
Sirsa urged the global Sikh community to join hands "in securing the future of our daughters as it is very grim".
There are several historical Sikh gurudwaras in Pakistan which are either in a dilapidated condition or are occupied by the land mafia and locals. The Sikhs are facing persecution across Pakistan. There are many instances of Sikh girls being kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslims.
