JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Kumar Choudhary, today attended the annual Jod Mela and Gurmat Samagam at Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji in Khour, R S Pura.

The Deputy Chief Minister reaffirmed the commitment of the government towards addressing the issues and concerns of the community with sincerity and urgency. He encouraged the Sangat to uphold the timeless teachings of the Sikh Gurus, emphasizing their legacy of compassion, unity and justice.

S. Ranjit Singh Tohra, President, District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DGPC) Jammu, and S. Ranvir Singh, Joint Secretary, DGPC Jammu, addressed the gathering with religious discourses.

They voiced concerns over social evils and outlined pressing issues faced by the Sikh community, urging the government to act swiftly. Key demands included recognizing Punjabi as an official language of Jammu & Kashmir (UT), introducing Punjabi as an optional subject in schools, and increasing the availability of Punjabi teachers.

They also called for amendments to the Sikh Religious and Endowment Act, 1973, to align with Sikh Rehat Maryada, implementation of the Anand Marriage Act for independent Sikh marriage registration and the establishment of a Minority Commission to protect the Sikh rights in J&K.

The event witnessed presence of S Ranjit Singh Tohra, President, DGPC Jammu; S Ranvir Singh, Joint Secretary, DGPC Jammu; DGPC members, S Avtar Singh, S Karan Singh Bali and S Gurmeet Singh besides Rattan Lal Gupta, Rakesh Singh and other dignitaries.