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Pay ex-gratia to bereaved Afghan Sikh families: US Sikh body to SGPC
President of US-based Global Sikh Forum Paramjit Singh Bedi demanded immediate release of the ex-gratia payment to the Afghan families
A US-based Sikh organisation on Friday asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to honour its commitment of paying ₹ one lakh ex-gratia each to the 37 Afghan Sikh families, whose members were killed in two different terror attacks in the war-ravaged country.
In a bomb attack on a gurdwara in Kabul in 2020, 24 Afghan Sikhs lost their lives, while 13 others were killed in an attack on a gurdwara in Jalalabad in 2018
President of Global Sikh Forum Paramjit Singh Bedi demanded immediate release of the ex-gratia payment to the families.
“Around six families were given ex-gratia and I will examine why the payment in other cases was delayed,” said SGPC president Harjnder Singh Dhami.
Issue remaining visas to Afghan Sikhs: Sahney to MEA
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney, who is president of World Punjabi Organisation, has requested the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to issue the remaining 58 visas to Afghan Sikhs as soon as possible so that they be evacuated.
Sahney reaffirmed his commitment to rehabilitate the remaining Afghan Sikh refugees under the programme, “My Family My Responsibility” running since the past two years.
Eleven Afghan Sikhs out of the remaining 164 stranded in Kabul landed in Delhi on Thursday, informed Sahney. They also brought ashes of Sawinder Singh, who died in the latest bomb attack on Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul.
According to Sahney, he is in touch with all the Sikhs in Kabul and is coordinating with the ministry of external affairs for their early evacuation. He hoped for early decision on the matter as the Indian Embassy has restarted its operations in Kabul after discussions with the Afghan government.
