As the Taliban fighters are at the threshold of Kabul (just 30 miles away to be precise) putting Afghanistan on the knife-edge, safety of nearly 300 Hindus and Sikhs raises a serious concern for the Indian diaspora.
After the fall of Kandahar in the south and Herat in the west, the fall of Kabul is imminent now. The Taliban continues its siege as it claims to have taken control over 18 out total 34 provincial capitals of the hilly nation.
At present, Hindus and Sikhs are based in Jalalabad and Kabul. Though they have been granted visa by the Indian missions, they do not have any means to fly out to their home country.
The gains made by the Taliban have renewed the security concerns for the religious minorities in Afghanistan. The ministry of external affairs in New Delhi is closely monitoring the developments in the war-torn country.
"Our mission continues to remain in touch with the Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members and we will ensure the provision of all necessary assistance to them,” an MEA spokesperson said, adding that last year, India’s mission in Kabul had facilitated the return of 383 members of the Sikh and Hindu communities.
According to historians, Hindus and Sikhs had once empowered the economy of Afghanistan and had presence in large numbers there. On the contrary, about 300 persons are left there now and their fate, too, remains unclear. There are reports that Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan are being misled by Pakistan backed organizations for their vested agenda. In the past, some nations had made various announcements for rehabilitating the distressed Afghans, but India was the only nation which not only granted refuge for them but also contributed in the redevelopment of Afghanistan.
Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of the Indian World Forum, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in the issue.
"I have received distress calls from Afghanistan and the diaspora is deeply concerned for their safety and welfare. Hindu and Sikh brethren living there have been victim of atrocities and militants on numerous occasions," Puneet Singh said, adding that the government should facilitate evacuation of Afghan minorities and airlift them through appropriate means immediately.
He also urged the government to make requests to its counterparts and international agencies to ensure that the integrity and sanctity of Hindu and Sikhs religious places in Afghanistan is duly protected and maintained at the highest level even in the absence of those communities’ members by the respective regime in power in Afghanistan.
Last week, the Taliban allegedly removed Nishan Sahib, a Sikh religious flag, from a gurdwara in eastern Afghanistan, but it was restored after widespread criticism.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while warning that Afghanistan is spinning out of control, also said he was "deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists."