SOURCE: ANI
The newly elected acting president of Haryana Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), Sant Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal lambasted Pakistan for carrying out genocide of Sikh youth in Punjab and Haryana by smuggling drugs and narcotics into India through the international border.
Speaking to ANI over phone, Daduwal said that his priority will now be to protect the precious lives of the Sikh and other youth in the states bordering Pakistan by spreading awareness about drug abuse. “Drug trafficking from across the border is a serious issue as it is a deliberate attempt to carry out the genocide of our youth, especially those living in the states bordering Pakistan,” Daduwal said.
“Our youth are getting physically and mentally ill. We will work on a war footing in association with other social welfare organisations to eradicate the menace of drugs. I have been working in this field for the past 25 years and with this additional responsibility I will intensity this mission,” he added.
The HSGPC head cited Sikhism to substantiate his point, saying the faith prohibits the consumption of narcotics as one of its tenets.
“Our Sikh gurus have given a strong message against the drug addiction, which we will convey it to our youth. We will bring our youth to contribute for nation-building by keeping them away from drug addiction,” he added.
Pakistan’s spy agency, the ISI, is behind illegal drug trafficking at the international border as they target the Punjabi youth to get addicted to it.
Indian border forces and security agencies seize consignments of these illegal drugs from time to time, which clearly indicate towards Pakistan as being complicit in the drug nexus.
Sant Dauwal said, “We are reading everyday about the seizure of drugs from the international border by our security agencies. The enemy nation wants to target our youth by making them drug addicts, and we will first educate our people about its ill-effects. So, if there is no consumption, the supply will also be stopped”.
Sant Baljit Singh Daduwal said that HSGPC will manage the gurudwaras under Haryana Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee with much transparency.
“Secondly, we will make sincere efforts to eradicate drug addiction in Haryana by bringing people much closer to their religion. Be it Hindu, Sikh, Muslim or Christian – we will promote religious integration among the people,” he added.
Sant Daduwal also expressed concern over Pakistan’s malicious propaganda of promoting Khalistan, a separate state for the Sikhs, through anti-India elements sitting abroad.
He said that more opportunities are needed to be created for the youth to stop them from migrating abroad. “We have to provide more opportunities to our youth in education and employment. It will stop their migration to foreign counties. There are some elements sitting abroad who are running Khalistani propaganda, but in India there is no such influence. Our youth want to remain close with their religion and work for the welfare of the country,” he said.
Sant Daduwal also laid emphasis on the youth to join armed forces as the Sikhs have great contribution from freedom struggle from the British to protect our boundaries from the enemy till date.
He said, “Our youth are eager to join the armed forces. My father, Sardar Pritam Singh, was in 18 Sikh Regiment who had fought the wars of 1975 and 1971. The Sikhs have great contribution in the freedom struggle and they have sacrificed their lives for the protection of this country.”
Giving examples of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and many Sikh generals in the Indian Army, he said the community has always been instrumental in safeguarding the country.
“Even today, the Sikhs are protecting our borders. So, Sikhs have major contribution for the unity and integrity of this country and they will continue to make their contributions in the future,” Daduwal added.
