Sikhs, Hindus fear in Afghanistan, India assures visas to 600 families

New Delhi, 28 July 2020, Tuesday

In the wake of the growing threat to Hindus and Sikhs living in Afghanistan for generations, the Indian government assured Manjinder Singh Sirsa, chairman of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, that the affected 600 families would be given the necessary visas to return home in a week.

Sirsa met Foreign Office officials on Monday and briefed them on the situation. "I was assured of immediate help by the government," Sirsa told the media. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee said in a public statement that a delegation led by Sirsa visited Jopi Singh, a senior official of the Foreign Office's Afghanistan and Pakistan desk, and briefed him on the current situation of Sikhs and Hindus living in Afghanistan.

Sirsa claimed in a media meet that Jopi Singh had promised to issue visas to the affected within a week. "We also talked to Jopi Singh about turning the Shaheed Taru Singh Gurdwara into a mosque in Lahore, Pakistan," Sirsa said. He said the Indian government had officially protested on the issue.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee wants the Government of India to make provision for the repatriation of Hindu or Sikh families living in Afghanistan who wish to return home.

However, a Foreign Office spokesman declined to comment on the issue. "We are going to continue our efforts," Sirsa said. The government has a moral responsibility to protect the lives and property of Indian citizens. We will also ask the Prime Minister for an appointment if necessary.