AMRITSAR: While seeking the United Nation’s intervention in ensuring security of Sikhs and HIndus living in Afghanistan, president of Sikh’s prominent seminary Damdami Taksal Harnam Singh Dhumma resented that even Indian government has not given citizenship to any Afghan Sikh or Hindu living in India for nearly two decades now.

“UN should take cognizance of killing of almost entire Sikh and Hindu leadership in the suicide bombing in Jalalabad and should immediately intervene to ensure their security,” he said while talking to TOI on Tuesday.

While issuing an appeal to Sikh bodies across the globe to come forward for the rehabilitation of members of Afghan minority communities willing to migrate from war ravaged country, the Damdami Taksal chief said “These are the trying times for the Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan, I appeal to the Indian government and Sikh bodies spread across the globe to extend a helping hand to their fellow brethren in distress.”

At the same time, he said, it was worrisome that Indian government had not given citizenship to any of the Afghan Sikh or Hindu.

In Delhi, Sikh leaders, including president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Gobind Singh Longowal, president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Manjit Singh GK, Akali MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Prem Singh Chandumajra, staged a demonstration in front of Afghanistan embassy and handed over a memorandum to the diplomatic officials.

Later, GK said that Afghanistan ambassador to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali assured them of conveying their sentiments to his government. “Abdali assured us to nominate a Sikh leader for the parliamentarian seat of minority quota, give safety to Sikhs and HIndus of Afghanistan,” he said, adding that he also assured that he would ask the Afghanistan government to give adequate compensation to the suicide bomb victims.

Referring to Sikh delegation’s meeting with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday evening, the DSGMC president said that they had taken up the issue of security of gurdwaras and temples in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said that SGPC had begun ‘ akhand path ’ in memory of victims of Jalalabad suicide blast, the ‘bhog’ of which would be performed on Thursday.

