India News | SGPC Seeks Safety of Sikhs in Afghanistan

Amritsar, Jul 29 (PTI) The SGPC on Thursday demanded from the Centre to ensure the safety of Sikhs living in Afghanistan.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief secretary Harjinder Singh Dhami in a statement said the declining number of Sikhs in Afghanistan is a matter of grave concern, which the Centre should take seriously and make efforts to ensure security and safety of their life and property.

"Earlier, there were lakhs of Sikhs living in Afghanistan but now their number is very limited. The reason is a sense of insecurity. The Sikhs were facing many difficulties in Afghanistan. There have been two major racial attacks on Sikhs in Afghanistan in the recent past.

Many were killed, including leaders of the Sikh community. That is why the Sikhs of Afghanistan are terrified and governments have a responsibility to ensure their safety,” said Dhami.

Dhami said wherever the Sikhs resided, they worked hard for the progress and prosperity of that country.

“Following the teachings of the Gurus, the Sikhs carried on the tradition of cooperation with everyone. The Sikh community seeks the welfare of all humanity, but sadly injustice is being done to the Sikhs in Afghanistan,” Dhami said.

“I appeal to the Government of India to address the problems faced by the Sikhs living in Afghanistan. The SGPC will also write a letter to the Government of India in this regard," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)