Taliban to return private land to Hindu, Sikh minorities in Afghanistan, says report

IN a further effort to engage with India, the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are undertaking initiatives to return private land to Hindu and Sikh minorities.

As reported by the Times of India, these properties are being reclaimed from warlords associated with the previous Western-backed regime.

It is to be noted that this initiative represents an important stride in addressing the injustices experienced by religious minorities in Afghanistan, who have endured displacement and marginalization for an extended period, according to a Taliban official.

Indian officials view this development as a positive gesture towards India. A notable development is the return of Narender Singh Khalsa, a Member of Parliament representing the Hindu and Sikh communities, who recently came back to Afghanistan from Canada, the TOI reported.

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told The Hindu, "A commission chaired by the Minister of Justice has been established to return to their owners all properties which had been usurped by warlords during the former regime."

Shaheen highlighted the return of Narendar Singh Khalsa, a former member of the dissolved Afghan parliament following the Taliban's assumption of power in August 2021.

Following the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan, a significant number of Sikhs and Hindus fled the country, including Narender Singh Khalsa, who was among the first group evacuated by the Indian Air Force in August 2021.

While initially provided with accommodation in Delhi, Khalsa later relocated to Canada. India has not officially recognized the Taliban government in Kabul, but there have been indications of a thaw in relations between the two sides.

On March 7, J.P. Singh, Joint Secretary overseeing the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk at the Ministry of External Affairs, visited Kabul and held discussions with 'Foreign Minister' Amir Khan Muttaqi, addressing various issues including cooperation to combat the ISKP.

The Hindu and Sikh communities have long been integral parts of Afghanistan's demographic landscape, historically constituting around 1% of its population. However, the exodus of these communities commenced in the late 1970s and the 1980s amidst political upheaval and the Soviet invasion that engulfed Afghanistan, The Hindu reported.