The terror attack on Gurdwara Guru Har Rai Sahib in Shor Bazar, Kabul has left 28 Sikhs dead. ISKP has claimed responsibility for the attack, citing it as a ‘revenge’ for India’s actions in Kashmir. The primary target was the Indian mission in Kabul, however, due to immense security, the perpetrators found it impossible to attack the same. Hence, the Gurdwara was chosen, and Indian diplomats were on the hit-list as well.
The attack on a Gurdwara has once again proven that the minority communities in Islamic nations like Afghanistan and Pakistan are susceptible to being attacked with impunity. Further, it has proven that the Sikhs and Hindus need to be brought back to India immediately if they are to live a peaceful life, without the fear of being killed for being kaafirs.
Captain Amarinder Singh, the otherwise ‘nationalistic’ and ‘sane’ mind in the Congress has now requested the Modi government to ensure that the Sikhs from Afghanistan be airlifted. In a tweet addressed to Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Captain said, “Dear @DrSJaishankar, there are a large number of Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan. Request you to get them airlifted at the earliest. In this moment of crisis, it’s our bounden duty to help them.”
Dear @DrSJaishankar, there are a large number of Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan. Request you to get them airlifted at the earliest. In this moment of crisis, it's our bounden duty to help them.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) March 28, 2020
As a matter of fact, however, Captain was the Chief Minister of Punjab when the state’s assembly became the second legislative house to pass an anti-CAA resolution (after Kerala), and proudly, yet stupidly claim that CAA will not be implemented in Punjab. “The Parliament had no authority to pass a law that defiled the Constitution and violated its basic principles and fundamental rights of the people of India,” Captain had said back then.
Captain is dwelling in a confused world. To please his political masters in Delhi, he had earlier taken a disturbingly anti-CAA stance, yet, now, after 28 Sikhs have been killed in Kabul, he wants the Indian government to bring back only the Sikhs. That many Chief Ministers across the country took an anti-CAA stand and passed resolutions against the legislation despite them having no authority to decide on Citizenship is a topic for later. However, when Captain had taken an anti-CAA position, it was a grave betrayal towards the Sikhs who had fled Pakistan and Afghanistan to save their lives.
Although CAA does not (as of now) have provisions for granting direct citizenship to members of the minority communities from the three neighbouring Islamic nations, it was a big step in the right direction. Hindus and Sikhs who fled to India before December 2014, and were languishing for an Indian identity thus far, would be given direct citizenship. By rejecting, and speaking against CAA, Captain revealed how even for him, politics trumped empathy.
Now that it took 28 dead Sikhs to remind Captain about the grim realities of Islamic nations, he might as well rethink his stand on CAA. Meanwhile, the government can do its part by bringing back all Hindus, Sikhs and Indic minorities back to India, and let them lead a life of dignity back here, without the fear of persecution.
