More than 320 Hindu-Sikhs seek refuge at Kabul gurdwara

Kabul, Ta. Tuesday 17 August 2021

The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating. As soon as the Taliban returned, there were violent incidents. Afra-tafari has taken place at Kabul airport. People are ready to leave the country at any cost to save lives. Meanwhile, Hindu and Sikh families living in Afghanistan are also worried about their safety. More than 300 Hindus and Sikhs have taken refuge in a gurdwara in Kabul.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, chairman of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, has claimed that some Hindus and Sikhs have taken refuge in Parwan rather than the Kabul Gurudwara. He said he was in constant touch with the chairman of the Kabul Gurudwara Committee on the security of minority communities in Afghanistan, including Sikhs and Hindus.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "I am in constant touch with the chairman and associates of the Kabul Gurudwara Committee." He told me that more than 320 people are in Parwan Gurudwara. There are about 50 Hindus and more than 270 Sikhs.

He also said that Taliban leaders had met with him and assured him of security. Sirsa expressed hope that Hindus and Sikhs would start coming safely from Afghanistan despite the changes.

Helpline number issued by the Ministry of External Affairs

In view of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has issued a helpline number to evacuate Indians from there. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Afghanistan Cell has been set up to evacuate people trapped in Afghanistan. Anyone can call or email if they need help. Earlier, Arindam Bagchi had said that India was already in touch with representatives of the Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities.