KABUL – A delegation of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs living in India met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on Monday, calling on the regime to restore historical religious sites, safeguard minority rights, and ease travel restrictions for members of their community seeking to visit Afghanistan.
The meeting took place at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi and included around 30 prominent members of the Afghan Hindu and Sikh diaspora, many of whom fled the country over past decades due to persecution and conflict, according to the Times of India.
During the meeting, the representatives urged the Taliban to facilitate a joint delegation of Hindu and Sikh leaders from India to visit Afghanistan for the restoration and maintenance of historical gurdwaras and temples. They also requested the return of properties that were seized from minority families in previous years.
In their statement, the group appealed to the Taliban to consider appointing representatives from the Hindu and Sikh communities to senior government positions, as had been the practice under earlier Afghan governments, to promote inclusion and strengthen ties with India.
“We hope that the present regime will ensure foolproof rights of minorities living there,” said Puneet Chandhok, president of the Indian World Forum.
Community representative Guljeet Singh said that Muttaqi listened to their concerns and assured them that he would convey their requests to Kabul.
“He assured us that he will take up all our concerns back home,” Singh said, adding that about 5,000 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs currently reside in Delhi, with around 2,000 still holding Afghan nationality.
The delegation also asked the Taliban to simplify travel procedures for Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who are now Indian citizens, allowing them to visit their ancestral homeland without a visa. Many, they said, would be willing to resume business or community activities in Afghanistan if their security was guaranteed.
Afghanistan’s Hindu and Sikh communities once numbered in the tens of thousands but have dwindled to only a few families since the early 1990s, amid decades of war and discrimination. Most have resettled in India, Europe, or North America.
The meeting came as the Taliban Foreign Minister continues his India visit, where he has also met government officials and representatives from the Afghan diaspora.
