MEA brings back 11 Sikhs, Hindus from Afghanistan to India; Read More

New Delhi, July 27: The Ministry of External Affairs announced that 1st group of 11 members of the Sikh & Hindu minority community of Afghanistan, including Nidan Singh Sachdeva who was recently released from captivity, reached Delhi on Sunday. The MEA also appreciated the Afghan government's efforts in providing necessary support for their safe return.

 

 

 

Around eleven members, belonging to the Sikh and Hindu minority community of Afghanistan, arrived in India today. Sachdeva, who was kidnapped by the Taliban a month ago and was released from captivity on July 18, is also among those who reached here. "India has granted an appropriate visa and facilitated their travel to India. We appreciate the efforts of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in extending necessary support for the safe return of these families," the MEA statement read.

 

 

Nidan Singh who was recently released from the captivity, said, "I was abducted from the gurudwara and 20 hours later, I was covered with blood. I was tied to a tree as well. They used to beat me and ask me to convert into a Muslim. I repeatedly told them that why should I convert, I have my own religion."

 

Thanking the Indian government, he said, "I am more than thankful to the Indian government for bringing us here to our motherland. I have no words to describe my feelings here. I arrived here after much struggle. The atmosphere of fear prevails there. Gurudwara is where we can be safe but a step outside the Gurdwara is fearful. It is because of sheer happiness, I am speechless. I am very grateful to them."

 

Ministry of External Affairs recently announced that India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India. The decision comes four months after a terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul's Shor Bazaar killed at least 25 members of the community.

 

Leaders of the Afghan Sikh community have appealed to the Indian government to help the Sikhs and Hindus in accommodation in India from Afghanistan and grant them legal entry with long term residency multiple entry visas. Once a community of nearly 250,000 people, the Sikh and Hindu community in Afghanistan have endured years of discrimination and violence from extremists, and the community is now estimated to comprise fewer than 100 families across the country.

 

Last week, the MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said that there has been a recent spurt of attacks on the Hindu and Sikh communities in Afghanistan and these attacks have been done by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters. He had earlier expressed concern at the "targeting and persecution" of minority community members in Afghanistan by terrorists. He said the MEA has been receiving requests from the members of these communities to move to India and settle down here. He said Indian Embassy in Kabul is providing them with the necessary visas to come here.