National Akali Dal National President Paramjit Singh Pamma has congratulated Delhi’s appointed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that after 11 years, a Sikh leader has been included in the cabinet of the Delhi government. There is great enthusiasm among the Sikh community due to the appointment of Manjinder Singh Sirsa as a cabinet minister. Paramjit Singh Pamma said that for the last 11 years, there was an Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, but during this time, no Sikh MLA was given the post of minister. Be it Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal or his cabinet colleague Atishi Marlena, no one has given proper representation to the Sikh community, even though there were many Sikh MLAs in their party. Due to which there is a lot of resentment among the Sikh community. 11 years ago, the Congress government led by Sheila Dikshit had appointed a Sikh minister, after which for the first time Sikhs have been represented in the government again. Paramjit Singh Pamma expressed the hope that Manjinder Singh will play an important role in solving the problems of the Sikhs of Sirsa. Necessary steps will be taken to make Punjabi compulsory in schools in Delhi and to appoint Punjabi teachers, so that the coming generations can gain in-depth knowledge of Sikh history and culture. Paramjit Singh Pamma appealed that Manjinder Singh Sirsa should make efforts to bring a special package from the Delhi government for the families of the victims of the 1984 Sikh massacre, so that they can get adequate economic and social assistance. He also demanded that necessary legal steps be taken to ensure that the perpetrators of the Sikh massacre are punished as soon as possible.
The Sikh community has welcomed this decision and has termed it as an important step towards justice and respect for the Sikh community. This appointment will not only fulfill the aspirations of the Sikh community but will also strengthen the multicultural identity of Delhi. Manjinder Singh Sirsa becoming a minister is a matter of pride for the Sikh community and this will give a new direction to the participation of Sikhs in the government.
