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Hopes soar for Sikhs in Iran
Natwar's visit has provided them hope of turning their wish list into reality.
For the small but influential 500-strong Sikh community here, the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh here has provided them fresh hope that their longstanding wish list - the right to own property, three-year residency permit and dual nationality - will turn real soon.
The enterprising Sikhs who have been living here for decades requested Natwar Singh to take up these vital issues that directly affect their lives at a function at the only gurdwara in the Iranian capital on Friday evening.
They also urged him to find a solution to the problem of Sikhs illegally coming here from Turkey. Natwar Singh assured them that he will take up the issues of property ownership and residency permit when he meets his counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and other top Iranian officials here on Saturday.
"I will discuss these issues with Iranian leaders on Saturday. As for dual nationality for Indians living in Iran, we will give it a serious thought."
The local Sikhs honoured Singh, who arrived here on a three-day visit on Friday, by presenting a siropa to him. He was treated to a rare evening of gurbani singing at the gurdwara radiating the message of love and the brotherhood of all religions.
"I have come here with a message of love. We are proud of your achievements," said Singh, while praising myriad achievements of the vibrant Sikh community here.
The Sikhs were enthusiastic about Singh's visit and expressed confidence that Singh's intervention will help the community achieve their dreams of a better life in their adopted country.
Said JS Seetal, a teacher whose family has been living here for decades: "We are confident that the minister will help us out. His family has a long tradition of being helpful to the Sikhs."
Natwar Singh also visited Kendriya Vidyalaya, a school for Indians and international students, and interacted with students and teachers. The school, one of the oldest "We wish to further strengthen relations with Iran. Everyone wants to bolster relations with India, be it the US, Russia or China," said Singh, while alluding to India's growing stature on the world stage.
During his discussions with his counterpart Mottaki and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Natwar Singh will discuss all bilateral issues, including the opening of more land routes to Central Asia through Iran, the progress on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline and India's continued assistance to developmental and infra-structural projects in Iran like the Chabahar port.
He will also meet Majlis (parliament) speaker Gholamali Haddad Adel and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who is also secretary of Supreme Council of National Security.
