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Kabul gurdwara attack: SGPC offers to pay airfare of Sikhs stuck in Afghanistan
The SGPC offered to pay for the air travel of Afghan Sikhs wanting to come to India amid concerns about their safety after the June 18 terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday offered to pay for the air travel of Afghan Sikhs wanting to come to India amid concerns about their safety after the June 18 terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul.
Several blasts tore through Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul’s Bagh-e-Bala neighbourhood on Saturday, killing two persons, including a Sikh. The Islamic State terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it “an act of support” for the Prophet.
“The entire Sikh Qaum (community), including the Afghan Sikhs living in India, is concerned about the fear and insecurity among Sikhs in Afghanistan. The entire Qaum sympathises with the Sikhs of Afghanistan in this time of crisis and the Sikh body SGPC also feels their pain,” SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said in a statement on Tuesday.
Urging the Union Government to immediately give permission to safely bring the Sikhs living in Afghanistan to India, Dhami said the SGPC will “extend all possible support” to those who cannot afford the transportation expense to come to India. “Amid this situation, the Government of India should make serious efforts for the protection of every Sikh in Afghanistan and grant them citizenship after bringing them to India,” he further said.
Sikh bodies write to Afghanistan acting PM
Sikh bodies on Tuesday wrote a letter to Taliban leader and Afghanistan acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, raising concerns over the ISIS linking the Sikh community to derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammed and seeking a “judicious probe” into the incident.
The letter was written by the committee constituted by Jagtar Singh Hawara, one of the convicts in former chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee, after their members staged a demonstration in Amritsar over the issue.
“The media divulged that ISIS (Khorasan) has taken responsibility for the attack citing the controversial remarks made by Nupur ,a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, against the Prophet. We the Sikhs have no linkage with these derogatory remarks, which we had vehemently and unconditionally condemned. Then why have we been targeted in your regime?” reads the letter, further asking the Taliban leader to take necessary steps to “dispel the misconception” and ensure protection and safety of Sikhs and their property in Afghanistan.
United Sikhs for evacuation of minorities
Meanwhile, United Sikhs, a UN-affiliated human rights advocacy group, also called on international and intergovernmental organisations to not only condemn the terror attack but also take steps to ensure appropriate mechanisms of accountability.
“We ask the US Department of States to evacuate the remaining members of the Sikh and Hindu communities who are under a direct terrorist threat,” reads a statement issued by the organisation on Tuesday.
Kashmiri Sikhs forum announces ₹10L for repairs
The United Kashmiri Sikhs Progressive Forum (UKSPF) has announced to provide ₹10 lakh for the repair and renovation of Gurdwara Karte Parwan damaged in the terror attack.
“We will also raise more funds. In these difficult times we want to assure that every Sikh of India is with Afghan Sikhs and Sikh community will rebuild the whole Afghanistan and always support the government,” said forum chairman Baldev Singh Raina.
Terming the incident as an “attack on humanity and Sikh community which is staying peacefully in Afghanistan” Condemning the attack, the UKSPF chief urged the Government of Afghanistan to take care of Sikh minorities.
(With agency inputs from Srinagar)
