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Time for oppressed Sikhs in Pakistan and Afghanistan to move back to India?

After getting out of the clutches of swiftly thriving demonic natured, Talibani, in a group of Sikhs with their women and children has reached Delhi. Under Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), it will be easy for them now to get Indian citizenship easily. It has become almost impossible for Hindus and Sikhs to reside in Afghanistan and Pakistan now. They are oppressed and tortured continuously by Talibani hooligans and other radical Islamic terrorist outfits. They are ill treated and pressurised to convert to Islam. Their women are kidnapped, raped married forcefully and are converted to islam.

Hindu temples were attacked and hardly any temple is able to withstand Talibani and communal aggression in Afghanistan. A few Gurudwaras are still left. Hindus and Sikhs are brutally murdered these days for no reason. In a span of few decades, with the emergence of Taliban, Afghanistan is ruined and turned it into Rogue state. It is hard to believe, a country that was liberal in nature, opposite to Pakistan has turned into a hostile consolidation. Upto seventies, hindi bhajans were also played through Radio Kabul and were liked by the general public. Afgani Kabulis were seen in every city of India selling dry fruits door to door and also engaged in money lending business. Until that time Iran and Afganistan were majorly seen as Advance Islamic Nations. The horrific, hardcore religious bigotry present today in these countries was not witnessed at that time. Hindus and Sikhs were also leading a peaceful and prosperous life not only in Kabul city but even in interiors of Afghanistan.

Iran has witnessed modern advancement during rule of Reza Pahlevi. But peace ceased to exist and disorder and disturbance pervaded entirely, after Badshah(king) Zaheer Shah was deposed. It is said that, it is hard to predict,when will a religious bigot,cruel emperor Aurangzeb be born after the Akbar(most tolerant mughal ruler towards other religions) family. Time changed and bigotry completely uprooted liberalism. Aurangzeb during his reign deeply buried music, literature and arts in India. This similar trend was repeated in Afghanistan by Talibanis. Hundreds of Afghani Sikhs have already taken refuge in Delhi. A Kabuli Gurudwara of these Sikhs are also established in Delhi. They can be easily differentiated from other natives because of their Afghani costumes. Everyone of them wear salwar kameez. They use pashto language while talking amongst them . In 1992 Russian supported government fall and a civil war started in Afghanistan, this compelled hundreds of Sikhs  to fleeing to Delhi and other parts of India to save their lives.

Afghani Sikhs are hoping and desiring to get Indian citizenship soon. Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA), passed by Modi government at the centre, has raised their expectations and they are believing that they will soon become citizens of India. In Delhi, you will encounter Afghani Sikhs at Gurudwara Sis Ganj, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and other major Gurudwaras. It will be terrific if all the Hindus Sikhs of Afghanistan who has withstood Afghan torture, can be brought to India. Here, they can give a fresh start to their lives. As it is destined that they will be murdered in Afghanistan, if they do not convert to Islam. They are innocent. When the country was divided in the name of religion, who were those people that lacked in exchanging people on religious basis? They and their family will have to bear the curse of these oppressed Hindus and Sikhs.

Sikhs are also massacred in Pakistan.

Killing of Sikhs has become an ordinary incident in Pakistan also. After their killing, an allround planned criticism is witnessed and then everything returns back to normal. In Pakistan, every city from Peshawar to Lahore, attacks on Sikhs has become a generality. Their religious places are attacked. It is a harsh reality, Pakistan and Afghanistan has become a living hell for Hindus and Sikhs. A statue of Lord Buddha almost thousands of years old, was broken a few years ago. Breaking up of an ancient and huge statue of Lord Buddha in Takht-i-bai  of Mardan of North Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state of Pakistan is annoying. This statue was 1700 years old and was related to Gandhar civilisation. It is hard to understand,by breaking a historic statue,what was recieved by these tyrants. Before this incident, an attack was also done on an archaeological site related to Lord Buddha, of Pak Occupied Kashmir.

Let us have a look of the past

Taliban ordered to plant explosives in famous Lord Buddha statue of Bamiyan. Until then, that statue of Lord Buddha made out of sandstone was believed to be highest statue of the world. The bad future of Afghanistan was anticipated, when statue of Lord Buddha was being disrespected. That statue of Lord Buddha was attacked by tank and bullets. Then after explosives were used to demolish it. These Talibanis are brutal to the core. It is evident that,there is no place for non-muslims in the countries, entangled in dark era. It will be better for them to evade that threat. They are having no place, other than India for them. Amidst,Pakistan also discriminated with Sikhs in last census of 2018. Sikhs were not included in census form. They were forced in others categories. The Sikhs protested against this at Peshawar and instead of providing justice to them, they were tortured. It is called adding adding insult to the injury.

Condemnable attack on Nankana Sahib

At the beginning of this year, Nankana Sahib Gurudwara of Pakistan was attacked. The attack on birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev,i.e,Nankana Sahib was highly condemned and a loud outcry was raised by Sikhs of India. Many Sikhs organisations protested before high commissioner of Pakistan. Nankana Sahib attack was a violation of 1955 India-Pakistan agreement, in which it was agreed that India and Pakistan will ensure the safety of religious places and  will take every possible step to protect the purity of sacred places where people of both countries visit.

An extreme version of discrimination is also shown in Nankana Sahib, where Sikhs are served foods in utensils, different from general,in most of the hotels. To conclude with, it is advised that Sikhs of Afghanistan and Pakistan should move to India. And unnecessary delay can cost their lives.

-RK Sinha

(Writer is senior editor, columnist and Former MP)

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