A group of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus met Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the protection and restoration of their religious sites back home. The meeting took place at the Afghan Embassy and focused on reopening old gurdwaras and temples, as well as reclaiming lands and shops linked to them.
Partap Singh, one of the members of the delegation, said they requested the Taliban government to return the seized land belonging to the community. “We discussed about the land associated with our gurdwaras and various shops. We want that the land that has been seized be given back to us. We also want that our gurdwaras, which are closed, be reopened. The way bhajan-kirtan used to take place, they be done the same way again,” he told PTI Videos.
He added that the community also urged the Taliban foreign minister to ensure proper care and protection of the historic religious places that hold deep spiritual and cultural importance.
Muttaqi, who is on a week-long visit to India, also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other Indian officials to discuss relations between the two countries. This is the first visit by a senior Taliban leader to India since the group regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.
