By: Amanpreet Kaur
One of the first pillars of Sikhi I learned as a child was the idea of Sangat. Our Sangat is the community we can turn to in times of hardship to seek wisdom and guidance from Waheguru. I had found my Sangat at Sikh camp, growing up my parents found theirs in their pind, Naugajja. As a child, I had assumed all Sikhs were from Punjab. As I grew up, however, I learned about white Sikhs and other converts, and in March this year I was able to learn about a new community of Sikhs in Afghanistan. Sikhs had populated Afghanistan since the beginning of Sikhi itself, yet they are currently the most endangered group of Sikhs in the world.
To better understand the Afghani Sikh situation, we have to understand the history of Sikhs in Afghanistan, which started alongside the history of Sikhi. You see, many religious minorities were already present in Afghanistan before Guru Nanak Dev Jis Udasi’s. But because of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s travels, the Hindu, Buddhist and Hazara minorities were inspired to create Dharamshalas and Gurdwaras. This was the start of the Sikh population in Afghanistan. A common misconception is that the Sikhs in Afghanistan had migrated from other countries, but the truth is that these Sikhs are indigenous to Afghanistan.
Sikhs have always been a visible part of Afghanistan's urban centers. They were commonly recognized for their prosperity in the shipping and marketplace scene. But while we commonly associate Punjab's issues with Sikh issues, Punjabi and Indian politics are foreign concepts to Afghani Sikhs. These people have had their own bustling communities since the beginning, and the best way to establish the struggle of these communities in Afghanistan is with a timeline:
1521 - 1766: Golden Period for Sikhs
Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Afghanistan twice during his fourth Udasi. Although hate crimes did occur, they were not as frequent. During this time Sikhs were well established and prospered in Afghanistan. However, this period was quickly ended when the Afghan-Sikh Wars started.
1766 - 1973: Afghan-Sikh Wars
The Afghan Sikh Wars were a series of wars between the Islamic Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire during December 1766 till 1837. In 1716 the Mughal Empire was losing its control over South Asia. During this time there Mughals were more tolerant of Sikhs until Delhi was ransacked by the Afsharid Dynasty. Later the Maratha Empire conquered this land but they were defeated by the Durrani Empire led by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747. The Durrani Empire launched many attacks against the Sikhs in hopes of conquering them, these attacks included the Vadda Ghallughara of February 1762. Attacks continued against the Sikhs until the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1801. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was able to unite the Misls during the time and create a powerful army which successfully overthrew the Durrani Empire’s control of Punjab. Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s rule spread all around present day Punjab and onward because of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's religious tolerance. His army included Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. After Maharaja Ranjit Singhs death and the assassination of the following three emperors the British East India company took control of Punjab.
During these times of constant war and attacks, leadership of Afghani Sikhs was tough. Some Sikhs felt loyal to their Afghan blood while others felt loyal to Punjab. While Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Kashmir Afghan Sikhs were able to travel freely between Afghanistan and Punjab. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Afghani Sikhs stayed in Afghanistan and were under Afghani rule living peacefully until Daoud Khan overthrew the last monarch of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah, with the help of the Soviet Union.
1974 - 1992: Mass Migration of Sikhs
With the reign of Daoud Khan and the Soviet Union, the region of Afghanistan was in political chaos, which caused many Sikhs to start migrating to India. India was a safe and easy place to escape because of their lenient border policy, which allowed many people to enter the country without proper documents. During this time, the Sikhs who mostly fled were those of a high status, primarily because they had the means to remove themselves from the budding situation.
1992-1996: Peak of Violence
With those familiar with the Khaled Hossieni’s novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, 1992 was the rise of violence in the Afghanistan region. The Mujahideen, or more commonly known as Jihadist or guerrilla fighters in Islamic countries, forced the president to resign, causing many different violent forces to fight for control of the region. These groups were part of arms races which caused them to target Sikhs. Sikhs were mostly regarded as being prosperous, making them a common target for murder and kidnapping. The peak of violence against Sikhs occurred during this time. Again, many Sikhs were forced to flee the region and seek safety in India. During this time propaganda started to be spread about Sikhs being of Indian origin also causing them to be the target of violence.
1996-2001: Security for Sikhs Under the Rise of the Taliban
The Taliban gained momentum and took the reign of Afghanistan in 1996. The Taliban had many strict oppressive rules against all citizens of Afghanistan, but one unique trait they provided them was security. The Taliban had a strong hold and were able to protect the citizens from foreign threats. To the citizens of Afghanistan, this was a relief they had not been privileged with for decades. The situation was far from ideal, but they took what they could get.
2001-2018: The Era of Hope
After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S targeted the Taliban, causing their fall in 2001. With the Taliban losing control, more Afghani’s were hopeful of the future and many Sikhs returned to their homes. During this time Afghanistan was starting to be steadier and many Sikhs had felt hopeful, something they hadn’t felt in a long time. But in 2018, a group of prominent Sikh politicians were awaiting a meeting with the president when an ISIS suicide bomber killed and critically injured most of them. With many prominent leaders dead, Sikhs again lost hope in their future in Afghanistan.
March 25th 2020: ISIS Attacks Kabul Gurdwara
The day many of us heard of Sikhs in Afghanistan was on March 25th 2020. An ISIS suicide bomber attacked the Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul killing 25. On this day many Afghani Sikhs were stripped of their hope. They knew they could not live safely in Afghanistan anymore.
As COVID continues to be an issue all around the globe, it has caused the aid to Afghani Sikhs to slow down. Many people are trying to find a solution which caused the foundation of SaveAfghanSikhs. The foundation aims to provide aid to refugees escaping the violence in Afghanistan. When discussing the Aghan Sikh situation it is crucial to point out that the attacks against Hindus and Sikhs have been around for decades. They have been the victims of a political power war. When we think of the issues facing our Sikh sangat, we often limit ourselves to the situations in Punjab. While both are equally as important we cannot turn a blind eye to our brother and sisters being killed in Afghanistan. We have to be ready to support them in this long game for justice.
For more educational resources please visit SaveAfghanSikhs.org or check out The Sikh Cast Podcast about the current Afghan Sikh Situation.
Bhul Chukk Maaf
About the Author
Amanpreet Kaur
Amanpreet Kaur is a current high school student at Franklin High School in Wisconsin. As a junior counselor at Camp Sikh Virsa, she enjoys learning more about Sikhi and having discussions about different aspects of it. Her goal in starting SikhTeens was to have a chance to start conversations about Sikhi through the teenage lens. She is passionate about social issues facing the world today and aspires to be a business leader, hoping to make an impact on the world around her. Her interests include sewing, running, playing lacrosse, and learning with her Sangat.