After arriving in Delhi, the rescued group expressed their gratitude to Indian government and requested the authorities to save their relatives who are still stuck
30 Afghan Sikhs arrive in Delhi. ANI
New Delhi: As religious persecution in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan worsens, a group of 30 Afghan Sikhs, including children and infants, arrived in India on Wednesday, reported news agency ANI.
After arriving in Delhi, the rescued group expressed their gratitude to Indian government and requested the authorities to save their relatives who are still stuck.
“We are grateful to the Government of India. The situation there is turning worse by the day. Sikhs are being targeted. Some of our relatives are still stranded there. We urge the government to rescue them too,” said a returnee.
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has coordinated the evacuation with the Government of India and the India World Forum.
The Kam Air non-scheduled commercial flight from Kabul has landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. SGPC had stated that after 30 Afghan Sikhs arrive, the entire group will depart for Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev in Tilak Nagar of the national capital.
Previously, the largest private Afghan airline, Kam Air, evacuated 21 Afghan Sikhs, including an infant, from Kabul to New Delhi. 32 Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan have been evacuated over the previous month.
Religious minorities, including the Sikh community, have consistently been the victims of violence after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. About 50 people were killed when the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul on June 18 of this year.
A horrific attack at the Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul’s Short Bazaar neighborhood in March 2020 resulted in the deaths of 27 Sikhs and the injuries of several others. Terrorists from the Islamic State have claimed responsibility for the attack, as per news agency ANI.
Around 700 Hindus and Sikhs lived in Afghanistan in 2020, but several of them left after the Taliban took power on 15 August, 2021. 110 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs are still residing in Afghanistan and 61 e-visa applications are awaiting to be processed by the Indian government.
(With inputs from agencies)
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