As the Taliban has occupied most of the territories in Afghanistan, Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill on Monday has written to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calling for an immediate evacuation of Hindus and Sikhs from the war-torn country Afghanistan on special visas.
He further said that the love of his people compelled him to take up the matter to the centre. Mr Shergill who is also the Congress's national spokesperson has urged the centre to provide economic security to the Indian-origin people who have been severely affected by the war.
“As you are more than aware, the Taliban offensive has escalated in Afghanistan, post-US withdrawal of troops, and they are fighting at gunpoint to turn the country, once again into a hub for transnational terrorism,” Shergill noted in his letter to Jaishankar.
Me Shergill added that the ongoing unrest in Afghanistan has resulted in a humanitarian crisis causing many deaths, including those who are of Indian origin.
Highlighting that the Taliban had recently removed the Nishan Sahib from a gurdwara in Paktia, around 25 Sikhs were killed in an attack that took place on Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul. During the 2018s suicide attack in Jalalabad, 19 Sikhs and Hindus were murdered. Afghanistan has become a sitting target for the Taliban is "adamant to kill minorities belonging to Indian origin," Shergill said in his letter.
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Giving more information about the violence committed on the Sikhs and Hindus in the Afghan territories, Shergill said that around 650 Sikhs and 50 Hindus are stuck in war-torn Afghanistan. Taliban poses a great risk to their lives, he said.
“These people, fearing for their lives, have appealed to the Government of India for their immediate evacuation,” Shergill added.
"The numerous episodes of attacks on minorities of Indian origin, especially the recent shameful act of Taliban removing "Nishan Sahib" (Sikh holy flag) from the holy Gurdwara located in Paktia, killing of 25 Sikhs during the attack on Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul, the suicide attack in Jalalabad on 1st July 2018, in which 19 Sikhs and Hindus were killed, are living testimony of the fact that Afghanistan is no longer a safe country for Indian origin Hindus-Sikhs," in a two-page letter, Mr Shergill informed the external ministry.
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Taliban terrorists have captured three more provincial capitals on Sunday and are moving to the cities after seizing most of the countryside in recent months. Withdrawal of the foreign forces will be completed by August 31.