News Analysis India

Tag: Afghan Sikhs

  • ‘India is your home’: PM Narendra Modi meets Afghan Sikh-Hindu delegation

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A delegation of Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence here on Saturday and thanked him for bringing about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as well as standing up for them in times of distress.

    Welcoming the delegation, Prime Minister Modi said they are not guests, but that India is their home. The meeting comes a day after Prime Minister Modi hosted a number of prominent Sikhs at his residence, and a day before the Punjab Assembly polls.

    Prime Minister Modi talked about the immense difficulties faced by the Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan and the help provided by the government to bring them to India safely, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

    Earlier today, had the opportunity to interact with Hindu and Sikh refugees from Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/qhshHb4E7o
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 19, 2022
    In this light, he also talked about the significance of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its benefits for the community, the statement said. Prime Minister Modi assured them of continuous support in the future as well to resolve all issues and address the difficulties faced by them.

    The prime minister also talked about the significance of the tradition of honouring the Guru Granth Sahib, in light of which special arrangements were made to bring back ‘Swaroop’ of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan.

    Modi also talked about the immense love he has received from Afghans over the years and fondly recalled his visit to Kabul, according to the statement.

    BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who was present on the occasion, thanked the prime minister for sending help from India for bringing back members of the community safely, and said that when no one stood with them, the prime minister ensured constant support and timely help.

    Other members of the delegation also thanked the Prime Minister for standing up for them in times of distress, the statement said They said that they had tears in their eyes when they heard him talking about making special arrangements to bring back ‘Swaroop’ of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan to India with proper reverence, according to the statement.

    The delegation members also thanked him for bringing about the CAA, which will be of immense help for members of their community, the statement said.

    Praising Modi, the delegation members said he is not just the prime minister of India, but the “prime minister of the world” as he understands the difficulties faced especially by Hindus and Sikhs across the world and makes all out efforts to provide immediate help in all such cases.

    Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister of State Meenakashi Lekhi were also present on the occasion.

    The delegation members presented the PM with traditional Afghani attire and a headgear, which he wore and remarked that former Afghan President Hamid Karzai would be very happy to see him in that attire.

    A large number of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have been living in India, and the Indian government recently evacuated many of them following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The Modi government has often asserted its commitment to the minorities of Afghanistan who have faced religious persecution, especially from the Taliban.

    The CAA, which facilitates granting of Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019 and the Presidential nod was received the next day.

  • Concerned about their safety, 320 Sikhs and Hindus take refuge in Kabul Gurdwara

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Amid the unrest in Afghanistan, about 320 Sikhs and Hindus from Kabul, Ghazni, and Jalalabad have taken refuge at Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul.

    Among the refugees is Narinder Pal Singh, the only Sikh Member of Parliament in Afghanistan. He is the son of former MP Avtar Singh Khalsa, who was killed along with other Afghan Sikh leaders in a suicide bomb attack in 2018 in Jalalabad.

    Talking to The New Indian Express, Narinder Pal Singh said: There are some 320 Sikhs and Hindus (120 families) who have taken refuge in the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul. As everything is closed here, we are safe in the Gurdwara. However, nobody has contacted us for evacuation. We cannot say anything as the situation is uncertain. There are no flights too. So, we can not even fly out of Afghanistan. But we hope we will be rescued soon.”

    “As of now we have enough food to survive in the coming days. Let’s see what happens. The Taliban have been saying that they will not harm us (Sikhs and Hindus). They have also asked us not to leave the country. We hope they will keep their words,” he said.

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    “Taliban leaders have asked the gurdwara management to put up a white flag outside the shrine to signal that it is under the Taliban protection,” said another person, adding that the remaining five Sikh gurdwaras and two Hindu temples in Kabul are closed.

    Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Sirsa said he has urged the Indian Foreign Ministry to rescue these families. He said he was in touch with the Kabul gurdwara committee president Gurnam Singh. “Though the Taliban have assured them of their safety, their evacuation is paramount in such a situation,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said the government is in touch with the Sikh and Hindu community leaders in Kabul. In a series of tweets on Monday, Jaishankar wrote, “We are in constant touch with the Sikh and Hindu community leaders in Kabul. Their welfare will get our priority attention.”

    He further tweeted, “Given the Kabul situation, important we have accurate information about Indians there. Urge that this be provided by all concerned to the MEA Special Afghanistan Cell at: Phone number: +919717785379 Email: [email protected].’’

    A few days ago, the World Punjabi Organisation had urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to evacuate Afghan Hindu and Sikh families from Kabul. The international president of the organisation Vikramjit Singh Sahney said it was the need of the hour to bring the Afghan-origin Sikhs and Hindus safely to India as their lives are in grave danger.