Srinagar: Asserting that Sikhs are
an integral part of Kashmiriyat, Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the community has lived with
Muslims in the Valley through ages in an atmosphere of
brotherhood and amity.
In his felicitation message to the community on
"Gurupurab" at Gurudawara Chatti Padshahi, Omar said Sikhs and
Muslims have faced challenges and stood together in times of
difficulty.
"The 20 years of disturbance and uncertainty in the
Valley didn’t shake the bonds of love and brotherhood between
Sikhs and the majority community but these got further
cemented," he said.
The Chief Minister said his government is committed to
the welfare of all peoples of the state without any
consideration of creed, caste, region or religion.
"Kashmiriyat denotes tolerance, mutual amity, respect
for each other's faiths and equal opportunity to grow. It
represents love, brotherhood and trust," he said adding that
Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs have equally contributed to
safeguard the unique identity.
The Chief Minister said the slogan of "Hindu, Muslim
and Sikh Itihad" (Unity) raised and propagated by
Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah has always loomed
large on the State's secular democratic spectrum and will
continue to strengthen the secular characteristic of the
State.
The Chief Minister paid tributes to Guru Hargobind
Singh on his birthday saying that religious leaders and
spiritual personalities have always worked for the welfare of
mankind and against evils.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, July 05, 2011, 18:18