Sikhs have nothing to fear in Kashmir: Chidambaram

Opposition National Democratic Alliance on Friday expressed concern in Parliament over reported threats to Sikhs from militants to convert to Islam or vacate Kashmir, prompting government to give an assurance that nobody would be allowed to harm the minority community.

Responding to concerns over the reported threat, Home Minister P Chidambaram said he had spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has assured him that every effort would be made to provide adequate protection to Sikhs in the Valley.

"We are aware of the so-called threat. There is nothing to fear or nothing to worry," he said in the Rajya Sabha after NDA members vociferously demanded a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the reported threat after forcing two brief adjournments of the House on the issue.

Chidambaram said, "Nobody will be allowed to harm the Sikh community."

"Chief Minister Abdullah had assured that the rights of Sikhs will be fully protected and no harm would be allowed to come to them," he said.

Earlier, Akali Dal member Rattan Singh Ajnala raised the issue of threats to Sikhs in the Lok Sabha before the Question Hour asserting that his community members may choose to die than convert to Islam.

He cited a newspaper report which said Sikhs in Kashmir have received anonymous letters from Islamic militants asking them to either embrace Islam and join the protests against civilian killings or pack up and leave the valley.

After Ajnala's emotional statement in the House, Mirza Mehboob Beg of National Conference termed the threat by militants as against the ethos of Kashmir.

"This is against Kashmiriyat. This cannot be allowed to happen in Kashmir. Every Kashmiri Muslim will stand by the Sikhs," Beg said.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee assured the House that government will take all necessary steps to ensure that no harm would come to Sikhs.

"Not only Muslims of Kashmir but the whole of India would rise as one to stand by the Sikh community," he said.

In the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna assured the members that the government would strive to protect the minorities but members appeared dissatisfied with the statement and insisted on a response from the Prime Minister.

S S Ahluwalia (BJP) said the Indian civilian face in Kashmir is a Sikh face and even that was now under threat from Islamist militants.