Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, stranded Indians and holy scriptures being brought to India from Afghanistan: IWF
A special flight chartered by the Indian government will bring back the stranded Indians and Afghanistan citizens belonging to Sikh and Hindu communities on Friday, the Indian World Forum (IWF) said. The IWF informed that besides the people, three holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from historical Gurdwaras in Afghanistan and Hindu religious scriptures including Ramanaya, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita from the 5th Century Asamai Mandir in Kabul are along being flown to India.
“After their arrival, the distressed bonafide Afghan citizens will be rehabilitated by Sobti Foundation,” Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of Indian World Forum said in a statement.
Earlier, six saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib were evacuated from the war-torn country and brought back to India. Sikhs consider Sri Guru Granth Sahib as their ‘Living Guru’ as it contains the teachings of ten Gurus of Sikhism, including the founder Guru Nanak Dev.
After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, India operated several special flights to evacuate its nationals and Sikhs and Hindus from the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
On December 3, 2021, Vellamvelly Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, informed that a total of 565 people including 438 Indians were evacuated from Afghanistan by the Government under the “Operation Devi Shakti”.
“A few Indians, who had contacted the Special Afghanistan Cell of the Ministry of External Affairs and desired to be evacuated, still remain stranded. The Special Afghanistan Cell is in touch with the remaining stranded Indians as well as members of the Afghan minority community,” the minister had informed the Parliament.
Following the rapid decline in the security situation in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021, all India-based personnel from our Embassy and other Consulates were recalled, the MoS had further said.
