Petitions
Karam Singh
5 February 1947.
Karam Singh was a doctor (MBBS) and school manager in Bannu, in the North-West Frontier Province. He wrote to Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, on 5 February 1947, asking that his memorandum be placed before the Minority Board. He noted that no Frontier Sikh was present in the Assembly to represent them.
Sikhs were a tiny, scattered minority in the NWFP. They held 3 seats in a house of 50. Karam Singh demanded 16.75 per cent reservation for Sikhs in the legislature and in all government services, from key posts to menial cadres, on a statutory basis. He wanted Sikhs declared an agriculturist class by law, giving them the same land rights as Pathans. He opposed joint electorates, arguing Sikhs were too few and too dispersed to elect anyone under such a system.
The petition also covered religious and cultural protections: the kirpan to be free from all restrictions including in jails, jhatka meat to be freely available in government institutions, Gurdwaras to be administered by Sikhs alone, and Punjabi to be made the second language in schools to prevent its extinction in the province. He asked for the same veto power in the NWFP as had been given to Muslims at the Centre under the Cabinet Mission Plan, and for guarantees of safety against tribal raids along the Durand Line.
To
Honorable Dr Rajindra Prashad
President
Constituent Assembly, New Delhi
Dear Sir,
I shall feel highly obliged if you very kindly place the following very important memoranda for the consideration and adaption of the Minority Board. These are the fundamentals-short of which the very existence of frontier Sikhs would be at staks.
1. Sikhs should be given, by an act of the Legislature same and equal civil rights and liberties as are given to other communities of the Provincs, considering them distinct and most important minority in view of their historical importance.
2. Sikhs should be declared as agriculturists’ class, by an Act of Legislature. May be allowed to purchase, occupy, transact and sell lands as other Pathans because we are tillers of the soil. At present we are classed as non-agriculturists.
3. Kirpan should be free from all restrictions every where the Sikh goes-even in jails.
4. Sikhs form about [unclear] and Hindus 5-3/4% of the total population of the N.W.F.P. At present we xxx have been given 3 seat in the house of 50- Hindus 9. We demand 33.3% in any future legislature for both minorities but as Sikhs are the most important amongst these, they should be given 16-3/4% instead of the present low percentage. Hindus are well advanced, Sikhs are backward and poor. Sikhs need more protection hence half of what is given to minorities must be allotted to Sikhs and no less.
If two chambered legislative bodies are proposed the same ratio must be maintained in both the houses.
In all services connected with the Legislative bodies our share of 16-3/4% must be secured legally.
5. Services
At present Sikhs are not given even their present share in higher and key posts, mostly their case is ignored on one or other flimsy ground or pretext. Our share of 16-3/4% be reserved on statutory basis at all costs in key posts, as well as in subordinate and menial cadres. The same concession and consideration be allowed to the Sikhs in selecting candidates and making appointments in Frontier as is shown to Muslims and schedule casts all over India, if Sikhs of required standard are not available.
6. Retrenchments.
At present where retrenchments are effected Sikhs are made the targets, and Muslims and Hindus are retained. Sikhs being an important minority they should be retained or transferred to some other departments wherever possible and retrenchment be effected from amongst Muslims and Hindus.
7. Education.
Punjabi be declared by an act of Legislature as the second language in all boys schools so that Sikh students may take it against Persian and Sanskrit upto Intermediate standard but in case of Girls students it should be the medium of instruction where-ever the number of Sikh or other students taking Punjabi in a class exceed five or seven. This is very very important because at present every Sikh student is forced to take up Urdu or Pashto. If the present practice continues Punjabi would become extinct in the Province.
8. Religion.
Sikhs should be allowed full religious liberties where-ever they reside in Frontier without any restrictions. Our Gurdwaras must be administered by the Sikhs for the Sikhs and in all matters concerning our religion the decision of the majority of Sikhs members of the Legislature should prevail.
9. Sikhs should be given the same Vito Power in N.W.F.P. as is given to Muslims in the Centre by the Cabinet Mission.
10. Jhatka
Sikhs should be allowed the free use and practice of Jhatka every where in the Province unhampered by Law. No restrictions on its used be placed in Jails, Hostals or such other Govt. institutions.
11. Method of election.
Provincial Assemblies, Municipalities or District Boards.
We Sikhs do not approve at all the idea of Joint and Mixed Elections in N.W.F.P. Sikhs being few and widely scattered they will always be the wrost sufferers under the system of Joint Electorates. No Sikh of the proper type can be elected under this system. If joint electorates are to be introduced any how, then in that case reservation of our seats is very very essential.
12. Sikhs should not be debarred from settling any where in the Province.
13. Tribal question.
Safety against tribal raids and kidnappings must be guaranteed by proper handling and settlement of tribal questions. Durand line should not be weakened in any case, it should be well defended.
I propose that the same safe-guards may be acquired for the Sikhs in all other provinces specially Delhi, U.P., C.P., Bombay Sind and Bengal.
Your responsibility for securing these rights for us is all the more greater because no Frontier Sikh is there to represent us. You represent all the Sikhs of India.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Bannu
5.2.47
Yours Sincerely
Karam Singh
MBBS
1/2 Guru Nanak Hospital
Manager
Sett Chothu Ram Girls
Middle School