According to the latest reports available at this hour, as many as 23 Sikhs have been killed in the militant attack on the Gurdwara Sahib in Kabul. The names of those killed in the attack include many women. Many more are fighting for life in hospitals. WSN resources believe that the number may cross 30 as many are critical in the hospitals.

IN A COWARDLY ATTACK, 4 GUNMEN, ARMED WITH KALISHNAKOVS,   surreptitiously entered the Gurdwara Paathshahi Satvin -Guru Har Rai Sahib in the early morning hours of the morning when the 150-strong Sikh congregation was engaged in listening to the Kirtan -musical rendition of the Shabads from Guru Granth Sahib.

Speaking on the phone line to this writer from Peshawar, Charan Singh, who recently came from Kabul to Pakistan after his brother -Harjit Singh, was killed by the militants said, “there is no hope for a normal life for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan. The international community, the UNHCR and the United Nations must act with godspeed.”

“I appeal to the Sikh leadership across the world to take care of the few hundreds of the poorest of the poor Afghan Sikhs, who are still languishing in the environs of historical Gurdwaras of Kabul with nowhere to go. They do not live in their homes and they have no place to cremate their dead ones.”

“There is no hope for a normal life for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan. The international community, the UNHCR and the United Nations must act with godspeed.”

Charan Singh, An Afghan Sikh, now living in Peshawar

Echoing his anguish at the attack on Sikhs in Afghanistan, co-founder of the Sikh Research Institute, author and public orator, Harinder Singh says, “We are part of the problem too for not providing any concerted, deliberative, and sustainable planned solution that integrates establishment realities with activist outcries.”

The World Sikh News is in possession of a load of gory pictures and videos of the ghastly tragedy but has consciously decided not to publish them. We are sharing a video which explains how it all started.

 

As per the latest reports, quoted by press agency AP, 25 Sikhs have been killed in the attack which lasted for more than five hours and the perpetrators of the dastardly killings of the ISIL -the armed wing of the ISIS, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, have also been killed by the Afghan forces.

As per the fears of those in the hospital, the total number may cross 30, as more than 15 are very critical.

The Granthi -the exponent of the Guru’s Shabad and the Kirtaniya -the bard who renditions the Guru’s Shabad -the revealed word of the Almighty to musical tones to the congregation, was also amongst those killed.  The names of those killed include the following:

Nirmal Singh Granthi, Dhiman Singh, Avtar Singh, Kultar Singh, Harik Singh, Iqbal Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Jagtar Singh, Bhagat Singh, Mon Singh, Jivan Singh, Shankar Singh, Parmeet Singh Khoshal, Bibi Paramjit Kaur, Bibi Surjit Kaur, Bibi Surila Kaur, Sardar Singh, Surjan Singh, Bibi Tania Kaur. Bibi Jagtar Kaur, Bibi Diljeet Kaur, Bibi Harjeet Kaur and Bibi Jai Kaur.

“We are part of the problem too for not providing any concerted, deliberative, and sustainable planned solution that integrates establishment realities with activist outcries.”

Harinder Singh, author and public orator, co-founder Sikh Research Institute

Though one child is believed to be have been killed in the attack, a large number of them who were playing in the Gurdwara Complex ran for safety and saved themselves.

World Sikh Organisation of Canada President Tejinder Singh Sidhu expressing shock at the incident said, “today’s attack on Gurdwara Guru Har Rai in Kabul and the brutal murder of so many Sikhs is a horrific act of terror, but sadly not one that was unexpected.”

We call on the Canadian government to expedite the processing of their refugee applications and allow the Sikhs and Hindus remaining in Afghanistan to be directly sponsored by Canadians

Tejinder Singh Sidhu, President, World Sikh Organisation of Canada

It should be placed on record that the WSO continues to assist the efforts to resettle some of these Afghan Sikh and Hindu families to Canada, which were begun by Alberta MLA Manmeet Singh Bhullar before his tragic death in 2015.

“We call on the Canadian government to expedite the processing of their refugee applications and allow the Sikhs and Hindus remaining in Afghanistan to be directly sponsored by Canadians,” urged the World Sikh Organisation of Canada in its press release.

“There is no hope for a normal life for #Sikhs and #Hindus in #Afghanistan. The international community, the #UNHCR and the #UnitedNations must act with godspeed.”#KabulAttack #AttackonGurdwara #AfghanSikhshttps://t.co/p6HDQy7bc7

— The World Sikh News (@WorldSikhNews1) March 25, 2020

World Sikh News empathises with the families of those killed. WSN exhorts the Sikh leadership, especially the prosperous Afghan Sikh community representatives worldwide to not waste a single day and ensure that those families that are still stuck in Afghanistan are fully supported and brought out to a peaceful place.