Harried and harassed in Punjab, worried for dear life in the rest of India and preoccupied in the far-flung-countries of the world, the Sikhs seem to have all but forgotten their brethren in remote, mountainous Afghanistan which, until last year, had been war-torn and an area of disaster as a consequence of the decade-long Soviet occupation.
News of bombardment of Jalalabad and the see-saw battle for its annexation on early 1989 momentarily created quite a stir in Indian newspapers because of the death and destruction of the homes and Gurdwaras of the significant Sikh population in the besieged city – second largest in Afghanistan, As suddenly as these news and photographs had appeared in the Indian press, the government of India washed its hands of any responsibility for the beleaguered Sikhs since they were, in the legal jargon, not Indian but Afghan citizens. The embarrassing news was quickly swept under the carpet by the practitioners of our “see-no-evil, hear-no-evil” policy.
We now have confirmation, thanks to the good Samaritans in The Indian Embassy in Kabul and Ministry of External Affairs, that the damaged Gurdwara at Jalabad (hallowed by Guru Nanak’s lotus feet) has since been restored and is in good condition. Gurdwaras in Kabul are also reported to be functioning.
We trust the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee will take note and renew its liaison with the Sikh Sangat in Afghanistan.-SIKH REVIEW.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 18, 1991
