Amritsar: Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh has demanded the revocation of the Union Government prepared “black list” which has the names of persons who are prohibited from entering India.
He said the deportation of an NRI woman from New Zealand, Shobhneet Kaur, and her two-year-old son Bachantveer Singh at Indira Gandhi International Airport on January 12 had brought out the “insensitive” face of the government.
Raising the issue of the “black list”, he said since the matter was brought to his notice now by the affected family, he was compelled to speak out. He added that many Sikhs with their names on the “black list” and their families living overseas faced problems.
The Jathedar said the reinvestigation of individuals, whose names were on the “black list”, must be carried out to give them another chance to enjoy the benefits of the mainstream of the nation.
He said the family contacted him after the mother-son duo had to take a flight from New Delhi to Dubai and then another to reach New Zealand.
He alleged that the Union Government was using the “black list” to humiliate Sikhs and demanded that it must review its policy in this regard and make the necessary amendments.
He condemned the attacks on gurdwaras in Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne. He said all Indians, irrespective of their faiths, must stand united to face challenges in foreign countries.
He also urged Sikh children to carve out their careers in the country instead of going abroad for this purpose.