Crisis in Afghanistan: A video statement was shared by a Taliban spokesman late Wednesday night.
New Delhi:
Sikhs and Hindus stranded in Afghanistan are assured of their safety and “feel no fear or anxiety,” according to a video statement by the head of a Kabul guruwara shared late Wednesday by a Taliban spokesman.
The video – which appears to be part of an Al Jazeera news report – was tweeted by M Naeem, a spokesman for the Political Bureau of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
It was also shared on Twitter by Manjinder Singh Sirsa of Akali Dal, the chairman of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, who said he was in “constant contact” with the Kabul gurudwara and that Taliban leaders “met with Hindus and Sikhs. . assured them of their safety”.
The 76-second video shows several men — some of whom believe they are Taliban members — visiting a gurudwara and talking to Sikhs who have taken refuge inside. The video also includes a statement (in local dialect) from the Gurudwara Committee chairman.
“I am in constant contact with the chairman (of the) Gurdwara Committee (in) Kabul… Gurnam Singh and Sangat… who seek refuge in Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib… Even today, Taliban leaders came… . met Hindus and Sikhs, and assured them of their safety,” Sirsa tweeted.
I am in constant contact with the President Gurdwara Committee, Kabul S. Gurnam Singh & Sangat who seek refuge in Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib in Kabul. Even today, Taliban leaders came to Gurdwara Sahib and met the Hindus and Sikhs and assured them of their safety @thetribunechdpic.twitter.com/glyCgZBwVI
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 18, 2021
Taliban’s M Naeem shared the same video.
A rough translation of that tweet into Arabic reads: “The life of Sikhs and Indians in Kabul: The head of their temples (says) We are safe and secure…feel no fear or anxiety. Before that, people were afraid and concerned about their lives and money, and now there are no problems. We are insured.”
السیخ والهنود في کابول: معابدهم في کابول: نحن في أمن و نشعر بأي خوف أو قلق. قبل ذلک کان خوف و قلق عند الناس علی أرواحهم وأموالهم والآن لیست هناک مشاکل. . pic.twitter.com/NXrtRuTRod
— Dr. M. Naeem (@IeaOffice) August 18, 2021
The return of the Taliban to Afghanistan after 20 years has sparked and escalated a humanitarian crisis that began when the United States began withdrawing troops in May.
As scenes of unrest made headlines worldwide, the plight of some 200 Sikhs in a Kabul gurudwara has sparked appeals from various sides, including one by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday. It is unclear if the Sikhs in the video are from that gurudwara.
Amarinder Singh had called for the “immediate evacuation of all Indians, including about 200 Sikhs, detained in a gurudwara in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover”.
“My government is ready to provide any assistance necessary to ensure their safe evacuation,” he said.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri also referred to a group of Sikhs who have taken refuge in a gurudwara on Tuesday and said they would be taken home as soon as possible.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has said the government is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and is in contact with leaders of the Sikh and Hindu community in Kabul.
Continuously monitor the situation in Kabul. Understand the fear of those who want to return to India. Airport operations are the biggest challenge. Discuss this with partners.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 16, 2021
“Constantly monitoring the situation in Kabul. Understand the fear of those who want to return to India. Airport operations are the biggest challenge… We are in constant contact with the leaders of the Sikh and Hindu community in Kabul. Their well-being will be our priority,” he said.
We are in constant contact with the Sikh and Hindu leaders in Kabul. Their well-being is our priority. @capt_amarinder@HardeepSPuri
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 16, 2021
Earlier this week, the government said Sikhs and Hindus in the war-torn country would be given priority as it looks to “facilitate the repatriation to India of those seeking to leave Afghanistan”.
The Taliban took effective control of Afghanistan on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled and the terror group entered Kabul unopposed.
It capped a dizzyingly rapid flight from Afghanistan’s major cities in just 10 days, accomplished with relatively little bloodshed, after two decades of war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
