Under ISIS Radar, Sikhs in Afghanistan Divided on Whether to 'Leave For India'
Afghanistan was once home to nearly 2,50,000 Sikhs and Hindus. The civil war which plagued the nation in 90s' led to mass exodus of the minorities, with only 300-odd families left back.
Kabul, July 2: Under the radar of Islamic State (ISIS), Sikhs in eastern Afghanistan are considering to leave the war-torn nation, which has been their ancestral home, and migrate to India. A section of the minority community, however, is opposed to the idea calling it "cowardice".
The dwindling number of Sikhs here were sent to a frenzy on Sunday after ISIS militants targeted their delegation which was enroute to meet President Ashraf Ghani.
The bombing in Jalalabad claimed 20 lives, 10 of whom were Sikhs. Among the deceased include Avtar Singh Khalsa, the lone Sikh candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections and Rawail Singh, a prominent community activist.
While speaking to Reuters, a Kabul-based businessman Baldev Singh said the Sikh populace here has only two options before them: "Convert to Islam or leave for India".
35-year-old Tejvir Singh, whose uncle was killed in blast yesterday, said it is certain that ISIS militants will not allow Sikhs to live in Afghanistan anymore. "They will never allow us to follow our religious customs," he added.
Contradictory voices also emerged which said the Sikh population cannot run away fearing the terrorists. Sandeep Singh, a shopkeeper in Kabul, said Afghanistan was chosen as the homeland by their forefathers. "We are not leaving for anywhere," he said.
Gagandeep Singh, a Jalalabad-based trader, said "we are not cowards" who will be driven away by those who thrive on spreading terror.
The local Sikh community cremated the 10 deceased in Jalalabad, despite the Indian High Commission's proposal to send the bodies to Punjab, the spiritual homeland of Sikhs.
Indian ambassador Vinay Kumar said the Afghan Sikhs, along with Hindus, can stay in India indefinitely as the government has granted them long-term visa. "It is up to them whether they want to stay back to migrate," he said.
Afghanistan was once home to nearly 2,50,000 Sikhs and Hindus till the late 80s'. However, the civil war which plagued the nation in 90s' led to mass exodus of the minorities, with only 300-odd families left back.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2018 11:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).