KABUL: Twenty two people seeking refugee at Sikh Gurdwara in war torn city of Jalalabad were killed during fighting between government soldiers and U.S. backed rebels. This was recalled by a group of Sikhs fleeing Jalalabad on Saturday.

They reported that the city of Jalalabad was under rebels seize and people were seeking refuge in Gurdwara complex. Heavy artillery and rocket attacks have caused massive damage to the gurdwara complex and nearby residence of neighborhood.

“Thousands of people are cowering in the summer mud basements of their homes without food water and medicines as the city are under a baraj of rockets and missiles,” said Harminder Singh (36) who is amongst those critically injured evacuated by helicopters to Kabul.

Harminder Singh and Gurmit Singh another Sikhs who came in this batch said that three forths of the towns 200,000 people had fled to Pakistan.

However actual number of Si Singh, Dr. Sohan Singh Bhai Dhana Singh and representatives of four organizations of the freedom fighters appealed peace loving people all over the world to take strict notice of the Indian interference in Afghanistan.

The press note said that India was planning to send Sikh units to Afghanistan so that the Sikh image could be tarnished in Afghanistan.

The press note warned Muslims not to be caught in this trap since the move was contrary to the feelings of the Sikh masses who were very sympathetic to the Muslims,

The Panthic Committee said that if the world did not stop the Russian puppet India, it would soon involve other countries of the region in war, just as it did in Sri Lanka.

Indian government’s repression of the minorities was now getting wider publicity abroad, the note said. It expressed the solidarity of the Sikhs with the Afghan mujhadeen and said soon the Afghans and Sikhs would together strike a death blow to India.

A report in the government owned All India Radio said that Pakistan Prime Minister Ms, Benazir Bhutto had requested the Chief of the Afghan organization Hasbelslamia to snap his links with Sikh freedom fighters. Hikmat Yar, the Hasbelslamia chief however rejected Benazir’s request.

Pakistani authorities became aware of the ties after some letters were intercepted.

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 7, 1989