2 min readJammuUpdated: Oct 16, 2026 12:47 AM ISTThe members of the Sikh community had been holding a dharna in front of the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, near Tawi bridge in Jammu since October 1.Jammu and Kashmir may soon have Punjabi as one among its official languages, with the ruling National Conference assuring prominent Sikh leaders that its government will introduce a Bill to that effect in the Assembly during the 2027 budget session.The move has prompted members of the Sikh community to lift their 14-day dharna (sit-in protest) in Jammu on Thursday.The assurance was made in writing by the party’s Rajya Sabha member Shammi Oberoi at a meeting with a 11-member delegation of J&K Sikh Sangat headed by former minister Manjit Singh in Srinagar on Wednesday.The other members in the delegation included representatives of various Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees from the Union Territory.The members of the Sikh community had been holding a dharna in front of the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, near Tawi bridge in Jammu since October 1.Their demand – to see Punjabi included in the list of official languages in Jammu and Kashmir – was supported by NC and BJP leaders, besides members of other communities as well.Oberoi, the first Sikh Rajya Sabha member elected from Kashmir, assured in writing that “a comprehensive Bill regarding the official status and implementation of Punjabi language will be introduced in the forthcoming Budget session” and that “the government will ensure the Bill and its related modalities are passed in the Assembly and fully implemented, honouring the long-standing demand and celebrating the rich heritage of the community”.Story continues below this adAfter the Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, the UT has English, Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri and Hindi as its official languages. The Bill clarified that English may continue to be used in the UT for administrative and legislative purposes.Granting Punjabi the status of official language in J&K had been one of the electoral promises made by the National Conference during the 2024 Assembly polls.