Sikhs welcome cabinet berth to Ramoowalia

LUCKNOW: Various Sikh organisations here on Sunday welcomed the appointment of Balwant Singh Ramoowalia as a cabinet minister and hoped the state government’s move would improve the condition of Sikhs in Uttar Pradesh.

Kendriya Singh Sabha Gurudwara, Alambagh held a meeting chaired by Sardar Joginder Singh to congratulate chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for inducting a Sikh in his cabinet. They appealed to the state government to appoint a new chairman of Uttar Pradesh Punjabi Akademi to boost social and cultural programmes for Sikhs and Punjabis in the state.

Working president of Alambagh Gurudwara, Sardar Nirmal Singh said that Sikhs needed proper representation in the state’s schemes for minorities. “Sikhs don’t get proper benefits of minority schemes. They also don’t get scholarships meant for minorities despite applying for them,” he said. Singh further said that with the appointment of Ramoowalia in the state cabinet, things would change for better and Sikhs would get a sizeable share of minority schemes in the state.

Meanwhile, in his first public appearance after being appointed as a cabinet minister, Ramoowalia participated in celebrations of Guru Ramdas Jayanti at Gurudwara Sadar here. Hundreds of devotees attended the two-day celebrations where kirtan recited by Harcharan Singh Hazuri Ragi from Darbar Sahib, Amritsar created a soulful atmosphere.

A medical camp for poor residents was also organised on the occasion. Punjabi Suman, a magazine in Punjabi language was also released. The publishers of the magazine presented its copy to Ramoowalia.