Taliban stalling evacuation process, say Sikh leaders

Sikh community leaders have said that 140 Afghan Sikh and Hindu pilgrims have been stopped by Taliban from leaving the country. This was the last group of Afghan Sikhs waiting to be evacuated from the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul where 262 members of the community have been staying ever since the Taliban captured Kabul.

Informed sources told ET that circumstances were extremely challenging for evacuation, with Taliban putting roadblocks to ensure that Afghan nationals don’t leave the country. This contingent, that also comprised a few Indian nationals, could not be brought to the airport as travelling to the airport from Kabul city is challenging as Taliban is preventing their exodus. Taliban is apprehensive that it is losing skilled professionals who are leaving the country. They fear that evacuees will help create an anti-Taliban narrative and therefore want to prevent their departure.

A person in know of the matter said that the Afghan Sikhs were to reach Delhi late Thursday for the 400th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur and a kirtan darbar was scheduled for Sunday. “Sikhs from various parts of the world have already arrived to attend the same. Unfortunately, Taliban has denied them access to the Kabul airport,” Partap Singh (Afghan origin), president of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev, New Mahavir Nagar, Delhi said.

On Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid had said that they won’t allow evacuation of Afghans anymore, but foreigners can leave the country. Another community member said since the Taliban was stopping Afghans from fleeing the country, they had tried their best to tell them that the group was scheduled to come to India for the celebrations. Guljeet Singh, president of Gurudwara Guru Nanak Sahib Ji in New Delhi said that the pilgrims were turned back by Taliban security forces from the airport on Wednesday night, after they had waited for more than 15 hours in their convoys.

According to official sources, India has evacuated 565 people which includes 112 Afghan nationals, both Hindus and Sikhs. This includes two Afghan Sikh MPs — Anarkali Honaryar and Narendra Singh Khalsa — who reached India on an evacuation flight on Sunday. India has also brought back three saroops of the Guru granth sahib to India and they were received by two Union ministers at the airport.

Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of the Indian World Forum, who has played a key role in coordination, has appealed to the Taliban to facilitate an early departure of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs pilgrims in the interest of humanity. Sikh leaders have also said some Sikh nationals have delayed the evacuation by deciding to wait for evacuation from Canada and US.