Actor-politician Raj Babbar was also honoured for his services to the Punjabi community.
The city’s Sikhs on Thursday made a strong case to induct at least one representative of the community into the state cabinet.
The demand was made at a function to felicitate chief minister Ashok Chavan for his leadership in successfully conducting the year-long Gur-ta-Gaddi celebrations at the Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nanded, which is also Chavan’s hometown.
The function was organised jointly by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Guru Nanak Vidyak Society, Guru Nanak Hospital Trust, and Punjab and Maharashtra Bank (PMB).
Citing the community’s “yeoman services” in education, industry, business, and trade, PMB chairman Charanjit Singh Chadha requested Chavan to appoint at least one Sikh in his cabinet so that they, too, would be represented like the other minority communities.
“We may make up only 2% of the population, but our service, sincerity, and sacrifice for the country are much more,” Chadha said.
Charan Singh Sapra, member of the legislative council, stressed the centuries-old ties between Maharashtra and Punjab and emphasised the need to strengthen the bond. “Guru Gobind Singh spent the latter part of his life at Nanded and Sant Namdeo spent over 20 years in Punjab to spread the message of love and divinity,” he said.
Sapra, a Congress politician, asked for Sant Namdeo’s ancestral home in Hingoli district to be declared a heritage structure and said Sikhs would contribute generously for its upkeep.
Sri Guru Singh Sabha president Sardara Singh demanded that a government-owned plot at Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar, be handed over to the Sikhs on long lease for religious congregations. “We will maintain the gardens, community halls, and other facilities, which will be open to all citizens,” he said.
Praising the service provided by Sikhs to citizens at all times, Chavan promised to look into all their demands. “I belong to Nanded and the blessings of Sikhs and their gurus are always with me,” he said. “When the Gur-ta-Gaddi celebrations got over, I was blessed with the chief minister’s post. I was made chief minister for the second time a day after I inaugurated the Gobind Bhavan in Nanded.”
Actor-politician Raj Babbar was also honoured at the function for his services to the Punjabi community.
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