Government urged to facilitate travel of stranded Indians, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs to India

New Delhi, Oct 24 (FN Agency) Manjit Singh GK, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), has written to the Government of India saying that he has been receiving numerous distressed calls from Indians and Afghans Hindus and Sikhs seeking immediate facilitation of flights to India. Manjit Singh, who is president of Jagao party, said in a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, that he has been receiving calls of distress from Indians and Afghan Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan seeking facilitation of flights from the Indian government and also for issuance of e-visas for Afghan nationals as their earlier visas issued by the Indian Embassy in Kabul “have been invalidated by the Government of India without prior notice”. In the letter, written on October 20, Manjit Singh says that most of the people are yet to receive their e-visas in spite of having valid visas earlier and travel history to India.

He said approximately 100 Indian nationals and 222 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, who he also refers to as “Afghan nationals of Indian origin”, are seeking assistance from the Government of India. He said a letter from Afghan Hindus and Sikhs seeking immediate evacuation from Afghanistan due to “the local political and security situation” was attached. He urged the government to organize early evacuation of the stranded Indians and of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs as “they have been the victim of heinous crimes, including terrorism”. He also requested the evacuation of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who do not have valid travel documents due to the non-functioning of government offices in Afghanistan. Puneet Singh Chandhok, President Indian World Forum, has also been urging the Government of India for early evacuation of stranded Indians and Afghan Hindus and Sikhs remaining in Afghanistan. The appeal from Manjit Singh and Puneet Singh Chandhok comes as the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul has twice been intruded into by suspected Taliban officials who vandalized the premises the first time and on the second occasion they threatened the residents. On Friday night, Afghan Hindu national Bansri Lal Arendeh, who had been abducted in Kabul in September and released after a fortnight by his abductors, returned to India.