Stay or go? Dilemma facing last of the Afghan Sikhs

[Premi]

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220120-stay-or-go-dilemma-facing-last-of-the-afghan-sikhs

Stay or go? Dilemma facing last of the Afghan Sikhs

Issued on: 20/01/2022 - 03:22Modified: 20/01/2022 - 03:21

"Afghanistan is our country, our homeland," said Gurnam Singh. "But we are leaving out of sheer hopelessness."

In the 1970s, Afghanistan's Sikh population numbered 100,000, but decades of conflict, poverty andve driven almost all of them into exile.

The Soviet occupation, subsequent Taliban regime and bloody US-led military intervention winnowed their numbers to just 240 last year, according to figures kept by the community.

After the Taliban returned to power in August, opening the newest chapter in Afghanistan's dark history, a fresh wave of Sikhs fled the country.

Today, Gurnam Singh estimates just 140 remain, mostly in the eastern city of Jalalabad and in Kabul.

- Spiritual home -

These remaining devotees trickle into the Karte Parwan Gurdwara temple for a recent prayer session on a wintry Monday.

Men stand to one side, women the other -- about 15 in total.

 

The Kaur children do not go to school, and their mother never ventures beyond the walls of the temple, the only place where she feels safe Mohd RASFAN AFP

Sitting barefoot on a floor covered with thick red rugs, they warm themselves around stoves and listen to a recitation from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.

In November, the temple had three copies, but two have since been sent to New Delhi for "safekeeping".

Sikhs have long faced discrimination in Muslim-majority Afghanistan. Poverty is rife and attacks from the Islamic State-Khorasan, the jihadist group's Afghan chapter, are a real threat.

The overwhelming majority of Sikhs fleeing Afghanistan have landed in India, where 90 percent of the religion's 25 million global adherents live, mainly in the northwest region of Punjab.

Since the Taliban takeover, India has offered exiled Sikhs priority visas and the opportunity to apply for long-term residency. There is no sign yet that citizenship is on the table.

Pharmacist Manjit Singh, 40, is among those who turned down the offer, despite his daughter having emigrated there with her new husband last year.

"What would I do in India?" he asked. "There is no job or house there."

Among the remaining holdouts, the prospect of leaving is particularly wrenching: it would mean abandoning their spiritual home.

 

Sikhs have long faced discrimination in Muslim-majority Afghanistan Mohd RASFAN AFP

"When this gurdwara was built 60 years ago, the whole area was full of Sikhs," said 60-year-old community elder Manmohan Singh.

"Whatever joy or sorrow we felt, we shared it here."

Leaving home

From the outside, the temple is largely indistinguishable from other buildings on the street.

But security here is markedly high, with body searches, ID checks and two fortified doors.

In early October, unidentified gunmen forced their way inside and vandalised the sacred space.

The incident had ugly echoes of the most scarring attack on the Afghan Sikh community.

In March 2020, members of IS-K assaulted the Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Shor Bazar, a former enclave of Kabul's Sikh community, killing 25.

Parmajeet Kaur was struck by shrapnel in her left eye during the IS-K attack, and her sister was among those killed.

 

The overwhelming majority of Sikhs fleeing Afghanistan have landed in India, where 90 percent of the religion's 25 million global adherents live Mohd RASFAN AFP

In the weeks that followed, Kaur packed her bags and headed for Delhi, but "we had no work and it was expensive, so we came back", she said.

That was in July, a few weeks before the Taliban returned to power.

Now Kaur, her husband and three children are fed and housed by Karte Parwan Gurdwara.

Her children do not go to school, and Kaur never ventures beyond the walls of the temple, the only place where she feels safe.

She thinks about leaving again, this time for Canada or the United States.

"My son and daughters are still small," she said. "If we leave, we can make something of our lives."

© 2022 AFP

[GurjantGnostic]

19 minutes ago, Premi said:

security here is markedly high, with body searches, ID checks and two fortified doors.

We should pay attention to this bit. 

[Premi]

11 hours ago, GurjantGnostic said:

We should pay attention to this bit. 

True

I think they should all 'cut their losses' and leave, they are so small number left now

[GurjantGnostic]

4 hours ago, Premi said:

True

I think they should all 'cut their losses' and leave, they are so small number left now

Some people will go to the next world before you unsettle them. 

[HSD]

 

It looks like the bakrichods are getting ready for further conflict and it’s most likely against the islamabaddies. 

[HSD]

 

 

 

 

[HSD]

This video purportedly shows islamabaddies shooting pathans in NWFP who sided with the bakrichods recently. The dead look like ordinary civilians to me. The security situation in the region is deteriorating steadily. 
 

 

[dalsingh101]

On 1/24/2022 at 12:40 AM, HSD said:

It looks like the bakrichods are getting ready for further conflict and it’s most likely against the islamabaddies. 

I think Kashmir will also be on the list too sooner or later.

Do you think they want to expand into pathaan dominated areas of p'stan? 

I thought the talitubbies were the brainchild/baby of the islamabaddies? Why are they fighting each other? 

[HSD]

7 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

I think Kashmir will also be on the list too sooner or later.

Do you think they want to expand into pathaan dominated areas of p'stan? 

I thought the talitubbies were the brainchild/baby of the islamabaddies? Why are they fighting each other? 

The Taliban probably saw the paks as useful idiots. They’ve needed the pak airforce to deal with Panjshir and supplies for their infantry but they look down on Punjabi muslims. Historically, Afghans have always seen Punjabi muslims as some sort of colonial subjects. With all the gear left by the Yankees and the new Islamist friends they have, the talibs probably do think they have a chance at taking Peshawar back. Don’t forget that Pakistan is also fighting against a Baloch freedom movement that is getting deadlier so they can’t concentrate everything in NWFP. 
 

Also, the talibs have to rely on the Gulf states for financial aid. Those countries aren’t happy with Pakistan as the soldiers sent from there have been useless in the war against Yemen. In fact the Gulf states are more worried by Iran and her proxies than they are by Israel and India. This means Kashmir is off the table for now. China’s recent skirmishes in the region have led to heavy military buildup there. The Islamists aren’t keen on fighting against Apache gunships anytime soon…. especially as they have so many other easier and more profitable war zones to go to. 
 

 

[chatanga1]

On 1/31/2022 at 1:43 PM, HSD said:

This video purportedly shows islamabaddies shooting pathans in NWFP who sided with the bakrichods recently. The dead look like ordinary civilians to me. The security situation in the region is deteriorating steadily. 
 

 

Thats a very old video. It was from around 2007-10 when the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan under the Masoods took over districts in the frontier province.

[GurjantGnostic]

2 hours ago, chatanga1 said:

Thats a very old video. It was from around 2007-10 when the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan under the Masoods took over districts in the frontier province.

Good eye bro. 

[HSD]

On 2/2/2022 at 6:43 PM, chatanga1 said:

Thats a very old video. It was from around 2007-10 when the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan under the Masoods took over districts in the frontier province.

I did say purportedly lol. Lots of stories are coming out of the NWFP about constant fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan, hopefully there will be more up to date videos available soon. 

[HSD]

 

[dalsingh101]

5 minutes ago, HSD said:

 

What happened in Kunar, who are the black punjabis?  

[HSD]

Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged artillery fire. The talibs then claim they infiltrated the border and had a firefight with the islamabaddies, who are staying quiet on what happened. 

As for the black Punjabis, lets just say it’s not a political thing but a reference to their skin colour. So much for the whole ‘no racism in Islam’ that they like to claim. 

[paapiman]

1 hour ago, dalsingh101 said:

who are the black punjabis?  

We are the "Black" Punjabis. LOL.

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

1 hour ago, dalsingh101 said:

What happened in Kunar, who are the black punjabis?  

 

47 minutes ago, HSD said:

Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged artillery fire. The talibs then claim they infiltrated the border and had a firefight with the islamabaddies, who are staying quiet on what happened. 

As for the black Punjabis, lets just say it’s not a political thing but a reference to their skin colour. So much for the whole ‘no racism in Islam’ that they like to claim. 

There is another derogatory term which Pathans/Afghans use for Punjabi (or other East Indian) Muslims. Have you guys heard about it? Some term like Hindooka? 

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[dalsingh101]

1 hour ago, HSD said:

Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged artillery fire. The talibs then claim they infiltrated the border and had a firefight with the islamabaddies, who are staying quiet on what happened. 

As for the black Punjabis, lets just say it’s not a political thing but a reference to their skin colour. So much for the whole ‘no racism in Islam’ that they like to claim. 

On one level, are you surprised? I think afghans probably see the pakjabis as sneaky, devious people who continually try to manipulate them whenever there is a crisis in afghanistan.   

[Premi]

4 hours ago, paapiman said:

 

There is another derogatory term which Pathans/Afghans use for Punjabi (or other East Indian) Muslims. Have you guys heard about it? Some term like Hindooka? 

 

Bhul chuk maaf

Were they not Buddhist or Hindu at one time also ?

[paapiman]

7 hours ago, Premi said:

Were they not Buddhist or Hindu at one time also ?

Probably. Maybe Hindus first (in ancient times), then a lot of them might have converted to Buddhism and then into Islam.

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[HSD]

On 2/16/2022 at 5:05 PM, dalsingh101 said:

On one level, are you surprised? I think afghans probably see the pakjabis as sneaky, devious people who continually try to manipulate them whenever there is a crisis in afghanistan.   

Of course not, the bakrichods would be right to see things your way. What else can anyone expect from the b*st*rd child of british imperialism and islamic fundamentalism?

[dalsingh101]

9 hours ago, HSD said:

the b*st*rd child of british imperialism and islamic fundamentalism

That's a good phrase. Did you come up with it yourself or did you get it from somewhere else? I'm going to try and popularise it. 

[HSD]

15 hours ago, dalsingh101 said:

That's a good phrase. Did you come up with it yourself or did you get it from somewhere else? I'm going to try and popularise it. 

I think you know everything I say is somewhat original.

I coined the term ‘Britannia’s B*st*rds’ as the word Commonwealth was a bit too doublespeak for me. The phrase above is just an elaboration on the term. Feel free to disseminate it far and wide, I don’t say this stuff for kudos or monetary gain. People can claim a patent or mathematical proof, they can’t own words and historical opinion. 

A similar expression can be used for Hindustan as well. 
 

[dalsingh101]

15 hours ago, HSD said:

I think you know everything I say is somewhat original.

I'd expect as much given your top notch education dude. Plus your access to the behaviour and thinking of people folk like me consider the privileged elites. lol

[HSD]

On 2/19/2022 at 6:57 PM, dalsingh101 said:

I'd expect as much given your top notch education dude. Plus your access to the behaviour and thinking of people folk like me consider the privileged elites. lol

I think you might have me confused with someone else. I don’t even have one degree lol. As for the other thing, they rumbled me a while back. Got to be careful what I say and do now.