Sikh and Hindu communities of war-torn Afghanistan appeal for their evacuation

AMRITSAR: Sikh and Hindu communities of war-torn

Afghanistan

have appealed to the International community to evacuate them to safety before it was too late.

While talking to TOI on Monday, the president of Gurdwara Kartae Parwan, Kabul, Gurnam Singh informed that there were around 150 Sikhs and Hindus living in Kabul under the constant fear of Taliban.

“For now we are living in Kabul and are safe but for how long we will remain safe, nobody knows”said Gurnam adding that they were scared to move out and didn’t know even what the next moment would bring for them.

He said four out of five Gurdwara’s in Kabul were closed and Prakash of Sri Guru Granth Sahib was being done only at Gurdwara Kartae Parwan.

He said the remaining Hindus and Sikhs of Afghanistan didn’t want to go to India since there was no financial security for them.

“I lived in India for few months, my 14 years old daughter Ashmit Kumar was infected with coronavirus who died in want of oxygen following which I returned to Kabul,” said he adding that the condition of other Afghani Hindu’s and Sikhs living in Delhi was not appreciable.

Meanwhile the

Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation

,

Khalsa Aid Canada

, and the

World Sikh Organization

(WSO) of Canada (

WSO

have called for the government of Canada to create a special program for Afghanistan’s highly vulnerable Sikh and Hindu minorities.

“We are in strong agreement with those that are asking for the government of Canada to act swiftly by providing a way to safety for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan. This includes Sikh and Hindu minorities that have been longstanding targets of extremist groups. Attacks at places of worship have led to the killing of children and adults. Further loss of life is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when” said Balpreet Singh Boparai, Legal Counsel, WSO on Monday evening.

He said in 2015, Manmeet Singh Bhullar took on the cause of helping Sikh and Hindu minorities in Afghanistan. Since his passing the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation has worked with The government of Canada and community partners to bring 60 refugees to Canada with 120 remaining in the queue to arrive shortly through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.