CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has taken a major decision in support of the Afghani Sikhs.
At a meeting of the Interim Committee earlier today, which was chaired by SGPC President Bhai Gobind Singh Longowal at Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Niwas, Chandigarh, it was agreed that the entire cost of bringing the Sikhs living in Afghanistan to India would be borne by the SGPC.
Bhai Gobind Singh Longowal, president of the Shiromani Committee, said that Sikhs living in Afghanistan were under constant attack and their lives and dignity were not safe there anymore. He said that the SGPC has been in touch with its counterparts in the Delhi Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee, which is providing quarantine facilities to the Afghani Sikh families that have already arrived in Delhi.
“In view of this, the Shiromani Committee will help the Afghan Sikhs settle in India. Support will also be provided to meet their needs once they arrive here,” Bhai Longowal told the media.
Earlier in March this year, a Gurdwara Sahib was attacked in Afghanistan’s national capital Kabul during the morning hours. A suicide bomber killed more than 30 Sikhs.
Apart from Bhai Gobind Singh Longowal, other senior members of the SGPC were present in the meeting. This included Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta, Gurbakhsh Singh Khalsa, Harjinder Singh Dhami and others.
UNITED SIKHS, a humanitarian organization that has raised over $100,000 USD to support the Afghani Sikhs, has also been approached to support settle the Afghani Sikh families in Delhi. There are multiple on-going fundraisers by different organizations in support of Afghani Sikhs.
