New Delhi: It was the concerted efforts of the microscopic Sikh and Hindu Nanakpanthi’s (followers of Sikh’s first master Guru Nanak Dev) community of Afghanistan, Sikh diasporas and the Indian government that not only forced the Taliban to restore the ‘Nishan Sahib’ (Sikh religious flag) which they had forcibly removed from Gurdwara Thala Sahib situated in Babu Khel in Chamkani district of Paktia province of Afghanistan but also guaranteed the protection of gurdwara.
It is said that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, visited the place during one of his ‘Udasies’.
Sikhs and Hindus have had a long history of living in Afghanistan. It is pertinent to mention that there were many Hindu and Sikh Shrines in Afghanistan, exceeding a population of more than 2 lakh during the 1970s. But during the civil war in Afghanistan, many of the Sikhs and Hindu shrines were lost.
Rehman Chamkani, the caretaker of the gurdwara, told Zee news that on August 6 night, a group of about two dozen Taliban members came to the village and asked him to reinstall the Nishan Sahib.
“They not only allowed to reinstall the Nishan Sahib but also shared their contact number to call them in case of any problem and also assured to give langar for the sangat,” he said.
Earlier, Puneet Singh, President of Indian World Forum, confirmed that the Taliban had warned Chamkani to remove the Sikh religious flag fluttering atop the gurdwara but when he refused to do so, the Taliban threatened him of dire consequences following which the Nishan Sahib was removed and was tied to a tree near the gurdwara to prevent anyone from desecrating the Sikh religious flag.
Left helpless after the surge of Taliban in Afghanistan following the exit of US forces, the local Sikh and Hindu Nanakpanthi took to social media seeking help to protect their place of worship. They uploaded the photographs and videos of abandoned cement platforms where Nishan Sahib was installed on social media which went viral within minutes and voices of concern started emerging from across the globe.
The Ministry of External Affairs of India issued a statement condemning the incident and extended its support to minority communities of Afghanistan.
“We have seen media reports on Nishan Sahib having been removed from Gurdwara Thala Sahib. We condemn this act and reiterate India’s firm belief that Afghanistan’s future must be one where the interest of all sections of Afghan society including minorities and women are protected,” the MEA said in a statement.
Sikh bodies including Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee also raised the issue.
SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur appealed to the government of India to ensure the safety of Sikh shrines in Afghanistan and the Sikhs living in the war-torn nation. She said that the repeated harassment of Sikhs in Afghanistan was an injustice to the minorities.
However, as expected, the Sikh Member of Parliament of Afghanistan, Narinder Pal Singh, denied that Nishan Sahib was forcibly removed by the Taliban. Instead, he claimed that the Nishan Sahib was removed by the sangat for repair.
Taliban spokesperson Suhail Tuseen claims that the caretaker of the gurdwara themselves had removed the Nishan sahib out of fear but our forces asked them to reinstall it and told them they can perform their rituals and provided them their contact number if they face any security problem.
Former president of DSGMC Manjit Singh GK said it was due to the united efforts including that of the government of India that Nishan Sahib was reinstalled at the gurdwara. He said even the spokesperson of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Suhain Shaheen, had confirmed the reinstallation of Nishan Sahib and assured to provide langar.
Sources confirmed to Zee News that it was the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, who has unleashed a reign of terror in the region and threatened the caretaker to remove the Nishan Sahib but it was Afghanistan Taliban who helped to reinstall the Sikh religious flag.
While showing concern for the minorities living under the shadow of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Supreme Court lawyer Jaiveer Shergill in a letter to India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar requested the government of India to evacuate Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan and facilitate them with special visas considering escalating and disturbing violence by the Taliban.
Also read: Afghanistan: Nishan Sahib restored at Paktia’s Gurudwara Thala Sahib
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