Washington: India’s new government should look into the issue of denial of visas to Sikhs who took political asylum in the US at peak of the militancy and in the aftermath of the 1984 riots, according to a top Sikh leader. Manjit Singh, president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (DSGPC) and a leader of the Akali Dal (Badal) which is part of the ruling NDA coalition at the Centre, told members of the Sikh community in the US that the new government is serious in resolving the issue.

“The Indian government needs to have a second look at the issue, which was a creation of the previous Congress regime. I am sure that New Delhi would address the issue to the satisfaction of the large Sikh community in the US,” Singh, who was here on a visit, said. Singh, who visited New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC, said this is one of the major issues of concerns for the Sikh community in the US. At a community reception for Singh, hosted by Jasdip Jesse Singh, Chairman of Maryland Governor’s Commission on South Asian Affairs, he was presented with a memorandum seeking a corridor from India into Pakistan, up till Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib which is five kilometers away from the border.

At another reception held in Rockville, Singh said promoting education and excellence should be the top priority of the community in India and abroad. “A focused attention on the agenda of guiding our youth in the field of education will set the community on the path of a brighter future. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee is committed to have this as our primary mission besides spreading the message of Guru Nanak. We are making sure that our students in the institutions run by DSGMC get quality education and they aim for high positions,” he said.