The “antim ardas” (last prayers) of Sawinder Singh, a Sikh man who was killed in a terror attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan, was held at Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar on Monday.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri met his family and read Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s letter to them. A delegation from the Afghan embassy, including ambassador Farid Mamundzay, was also present. Sawinder Singh’s son had arrived from Birmingham, England, on Sunday to perform the last rites of his father.
“Paid my condolence to Sardar Arjeet Singh Ji, the son of Shaheed Sardar Sawinder Singh Ji who attained shaheedi (martyrdom) in the cowardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. Interacted with other members of the bereaved family during the Antim Ardas today… Conveyed heartfelt condolence message of PM Sh@narendramodi Ji to members of the Sikh Sangat,” Puri said in a tweet.
SGPC chief assures help
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami also attended the “antim ardas” and expressed his condolences to Sawinder Singh’s family members, including his widow Pal Kaur and son.
“Although it is the duty of the governments to settle the Sikhs stuck in Afghanistan after bringing them to India, the SGPC will always remain present for fulfilling the needs required in this process,” said Dhami, who also met Afghan Sikh leaders living in Delhi and Afghanistan’s ambassador to discuss the safety of Sikhs.
{{/usCountry}}“Although it is the duty of the governments to settle the Sikhs stuck in Afghanistan after bringing them to India, the SGPC will always remain present for fulfilling the needs required in this process,” said Dhami, who also met Afghan Sikh leaders living in Delhi and Afghanistan’s ambassador to discuss the safety of Sikhs.
{{/usCountry}}Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul’s Bagh-e Bala neighbourhood on Saturday became the latest target of attack on the minority communities’ places of worship in Afghanistan. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack that claimed two lives.
According to Sawinder Singh’s wife, he was yearning to return to his family in Delhi ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital Kabul last year. He ran a small paan shop there and lived in a gurdwara. He had applied for an e-visa, which was reportedly approved on Sunday, a day after his death in the deadly attack.