Neglected for decades, Sikhs vote for development

Budgam, Sept 25: In a significant turnout, the Sikh community of Dharamshala Singhan, now part of the Chari Shareef assembly constituency in Budgam, cast their votes in large numbers today, expressing hope that years of neglect would finally come to an end.
The village, previously under Chadoora Tehsil, was recently aligned with Chari Shareef following a constituency reorganisation. This shift has raised hopes among residents that their long-standing issues might now be addressed by the new elected representatives.
Kuldeep Singh, a 62-year-old farmer and resident of the village, shared that the community consists of 103 households, with 80 Sikh families and 23 Muslim families. He voiced frustration over being ignored by previous representatives for nearly two decades.
“Our Sikh community makes up just 1 percent of the population in Kashmir, and we’ve been demanding a minority quota since the 1980s,” Kuldeep told *Rising Kashmir*. Despite repeated promises over the years, the demand for a fair minority quota remains unmet.
Beyond the minority quota, the residents are also calling for infrastructural improvements. Kuldeep highlighted the need for renovations at the historic Chatti Padshahi Gurdwara in the village, citing the urgent requirement for a new entry gate and additional rooms to accommodate pilgrims traveling from far distances.
Another pressing issue is road connectivity. The road linking their village to Newa in Pulwama district has been under construction for 18 years. While the road is complete up to Wanpora, the stretch from Wanpora to Dharamshala remains unfinished due to the lack of a 10-foot bridge. “Construction materials were arranged for the bridge, but the project was abandoned,” Kuldeep said.
Darbari Singh, another villager, spoke about the challenges faced by local farmers, particularly with irrigation. He explained that around 300 kanals of farmland depend on the Khanchi canal, which is in dire need of desilting. “Without proper water supply, farming has become increasingly difficult,” Darbari said.
The community remains hopeful that the reorganisation of their constituency and their votes will bring much-needed development and attention to their village, addressing these long-standing concerns.