New Delhi:The Central governmenton Thursday said that all necessary assistance would be provided to the Hindu and Sikh community members in Afghanistan as the war-ravaged country is witnessing massive violence by the Taliban insurgent groups. This comes at a time when the situation in Afghanistan has been highly hostile in the past few months and Sikh and Hindu communities are under constant threat of being attacked.
In response to a media query over the measures taken by the Indian government in the form of a rescue mission to bring back the minority community members, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "Last year, our Mission in Kabul facilitated the return of over 383 members of the Hindu and Sikh communities". "Our Mission in Kabul continues to remain in touch with Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members and we'll ensure the provision of all necessary assistance to them", he added during a weekly media briefing.
The Hindu and Sikh community members have been appealing to the international community to evacuate them to safety before it is too late. The Taliban which claims to have already captured 90% of the Afghan territory, continues to kill innocent people. Last week, the Taliban had removed the Sikh religious flag — Nishan Sahib—from the roof of Gurdwara Thala Sahib, in the Paktia province of Afghanistan. Later amid international pressure and India's strong condemnation, the flag was restored on August 6.