Afghan Sikhs arrive in Punjab's Ludhiana, thank Indian government for rescue efforts

Afghan Hindus, Sikhs, and several Indian passport holders reached India safely amid growing tension in Afghanistan. Upon arrival, Afghan Sikhs who reached Ludhiana in Punjab thanked the Indian Government for their safe evacuation from war-torn Afghanistan. The IAF plane on Monday had brought back the people stranded in Afghanistan along with 3 copies of the Guru Granth Sahib from different gurudwaras by an Air India flight. 

Gurdit Singh is one of the Sikhs whose family was brought back to India from Afghanistan. He used to run a grocery shop in Kabul and lived with his family in Afghanistan for sixty years. 

Singh told ANI, "The situation is very critical after the Taliban occupation of Afghanistan. There is open firing in every street and lane. There is a panic among the people. Be it Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, everyone wants to leave Afghanistan. People are waiting with their children outside the airport to leave Afghanistan."

Explaining the situation in Afghanistan, he stated, "People were in distress even 21 years ago during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But this time, people want to leave the country. There is so much rush to the airport that half an hour drive is taking 18 hours. We decided to leave everything and come to India. There is no better country in the world than India where people of all religions live in peace and harmony. We are grateful to the Government of India."

He informed that over 100 Hindus and Sikhs are still stuck in a gurdwara in Kabul and further urged the Government to evacuate them soon. 

India evacuates Afghan Sikhs

On August 20, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had informed that India has evacuated more than 550 people including 260 Indian nationals from Afghanistan on six separate flights.

Addressing the press conference in New Delhi, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said, "We were able to bring out some Afghan nationals as well as nationals from other countries. Of these, many of them were Sikhs and Hindus. Primarily, our focus will be on Indian nationals, but we'll also stand by Afghans who stood by us". 

India will grant emergency visas to Afghan nationals for the next six months. 

(With ANI inputs)

(Image credit: AN/AP)