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Maharashtra Sikhs join to push
for more political space
WSN Network
 MUMBAI:
Maharashtra Sikh Association is walking the extra mile to ensure at
least five Sikh candidates win the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Sardar Daljeet
Singh Bal, the president of the Maharashtra Sikh Association (MSA),
feels that Mumbai's five lakh Sikhs are sorely underrepresented in
the state's political setup.
There are just
two elected representatives from the community MLA Sardar Tara Singh
of the BJP from Mulund and BMC corporator Harvinder Kaur Singh Bira
from GTB Nagar.
In a close-door
meeting at Dadar last week, the MSA decided to support Sikh
candidates in the forthcoming Assembly polls irrespective of the
party that fields them.
"We want at
least five MLAs from our community. We have communicated this to
various political parties and asked them to field more Sardars.
We will ask
political parties to not pit one Sikh candidate against another in
the forthcoming polls," said Bal.
The MSA has
already extended its support to Mandeep Singh Sehgal, a Samajwadi
Party ticket hopeful, from the Sikh dominated Sion-Koliwada
neighbourhood.
"I am certain
that I will win the seat, as the Sikh community is united in its
support for me. The Congress is fielding a non-Sikh candidate from
the constituency, who does not enjoy the support of the locals,"
said Sehgal.
Sardar Tara
Singh, the lone Sikh in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly,
however, said political parties should consider competence of a
candidate and not membership to a community as a criterion when they
issue tickets.
"North Indians
and Gujaratis are demanding tickets for members of their community.
Tickets, I feel, should be given to deserving candidates
irrespective of the religion they profess or the state they come
from," he said. Raj Shroff, the general secretary of Mumbai
Congress, said as long as the persons chosen do their job, their
religion or community should not matter.
Late Sardar
Sohan Singh Kohli won the GTB Nagar BMC seat uninterrupted for 32
years on a Janta Dal party ticket.
City's Prominent
Sikh politicians include Sardar Tara Singh, MLA of the BJP, Charan
Singh Sapra, MLC of the Congress, Harvinder Kaur Singh Bira, BMC
corporator of the Congress, Jasbeer Singh Bira, former BMC
corporator of the Congress, Amarjeet Singh Manhas, chairman, MHADA
Mumbai board of the Congress. Some Mumbai areas like JB Nagar,
Andheri, Sion-Koliwada, parts of Mulund and parts of Vikhroli have
significant Sikh population.
23
September 2009
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