Displaced Afghan Sikhs Seek Security Before Returning Home
At a Delhi temple, Afghan Sikhs gather in prayer, their voices rising in unison, yet their hearts weighed down with longing for a homeland they were forced to leave.
Among them is Daya Singh, now in his 70s, who fled Afghanistan twice — first in 1992 when the Taliban seized control, and again in 2006 after facing persecution for being Sikh.
Daya Singh was part of a delegation of Afghan Sikhs that met Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi at the Afghan Embassy in Delhi. The dialogue was historic — a rare, direct conversation between Afghan officials and members of a religious minority displaced by decades of conflict.
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Historically, Afghanistan had a thriving Sikh community. Guru Nanak visited the region in the early 16th century, laying the foundation for Sikhism there. Once numbering nearly 200,000, the Afghan Sikh population has now dwindled to fewer than 100 families.
The decline of the community has been catastrophic, both culturally and spiritually. Temples and gurdwaras have been abandoned or encroached upon, heritage sites neglected, and communal life reduced to whispers of memory. Afghan Sikhs in Delhi live with a dual consciousness: grateful for refuge, yet grieving the erosion of centuries-old roots.
“The community is scattered, our houses and properties taken over, our children growing up without the land our ancestors called home. We pray here every day, but it’s bittersweet,” said Daya Singh.
But their recent meeting at the embassy has introduced a small ray of hope for the small group.
“We met with Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Mr. [Amir Khan] Mutaqqi, at the Afghan embassy,” Daya Singh added. “He told us that there is peace in Afghanistan and that we must return now. We told him we would, but it will take more time because there are still problems; incidents keep happening. We can go for business purposes, but moving permanently will take time.”
Mutaqqi assured the Sikhs of safety and protection in Afghanistan, promising that they could return without fear.
“It was a good meeting,” Daya Singh said. “We want relations between the two countries to strengthen further, and the bond of amity and friendship, which has existed for centuries, must remain. The reopening of business routes between the two countries is a very good sign. People from both nations can travel for medical purposes, tourism, and business. This will be really very good.”
But for Afghan Sikhs, fears are rooted in decades of violence and marginalization. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2020, attacks on religious minorities have continued. The March 2020 Gurdwara attack in Kabul, which killed 25 Sikhs, and the 2018 Jalalabad bombing, which killed 19 Hindus and Sikhs, remain fresh in the community’s memory. These incidents have left many wary of returning, even with assurances of protection.
Despite Mutaqqi’s promises, Afghan Sikhs continue to seek refuge in Delhi, finding shelter and a sense of community in gurdwaras including Rakabganj, Moti Bagh, and Bangla Sahib. These sacred spaces provide food, accommodation, and support, reflecting centuries of Sikh tradition of serving devotees and the needy.
“We made a special request that the temples and gurdwaras be looked after,” said Afghan refugee Guljit Singh, recalling the Oct. 13 meeting. “Our teams will visit Afghanistan to assess the condition of our religious sites, and security must be provided. All help should be extended to us. He listened patiently and said he would support us. We also discussed our old business ties between the two countries, ways to import and trade Afghan products, and the welfare of Afghan refugees living in India. He assured us that all our demands would be fulfilled and that properties encroached upon would be returned to the community.”
The meeting with Mutaqqi was symbolic, a promise of safety, but one that cannot erase decades of fear and loss. For Daya Singh and thousands of Afghan Sikhs, home is no longer a place, but a memory. Every prayer in Delhi carries the faint hope of returning to a country that may never feel safe again.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Afghan Embassy in Qatar and a key Taliban member, said Mutaqqi’s visit “marks an important milestone in our engagement with India. We see it as an opportunity to open a new chapter in bilateral relations. Both sides have their priorities, and a wide range of issues from cooperation to investment will be on the table for discussion.”
He added: “We also hope the visit will reinvigorate humanitarian assistance and pave the way for resuming development projects that India had earlier launched. Such steps are vital for restoring normal diplomatic ties and strengthening mutual trust.”
A community on the brink
Many Afghan Sikhs who once thrived as traders, shopkeepers, and artisans now struggle to rebuild their livelihoods in India. Small businesses and trade networks, spanning decades, have been disrupted.
The delegation emphasized the importance of restoring business links between Afghanistan and India, which have historically been strong. Afghan Sikh traders dealt in textiles, carpets, jewelry, and spices, connecting communities across borders for generations. These economic ties, coupled with cultural exchanges, were seen as essential for reinvigorating Afghan Sikh life and sustaining hope of return.
Cultural continuity is equally critical. Afghan Sikhs continue to celebrate festivals like Baisakhi, Diwali and Gurpurab within Delhi gurdwaras, replicating traditions that once thrived in Kabul, Jalalabad, and other Afghan cities. Music, prayer rituals, and food practices are preserved carefully, passing them down to younger generations who have never seen their ancestral homes.
The delegation’s meeting also touched on participation in Afghan Jirgas, traditional councils that handle local disputes. Engagement in these civic spaces could allow Sikhs to assert some agency in the protection of their rights and properties back home, while also re-establishing a communal presence long absent from Afghanistan’s social fabric.
Looking ahead
For the Afghan Sikh diaspora in Delhi, faith is not just spiritual sustenance; it is a lifeline. It connects them to a past they can no longer physically inhabit and provides a framework for negotiating identity in exile.
Every morning, gurdwaras hum with prayers in Gurmukhi, punctuated by the sound of kirtans and the aroma of langar, the community kitchen that feeds hundreds daily. For many, these rituals are acts of resistance against erasure, ways to sustain memory, community, and dignity.
For Daya Singh, Guljit Singh and the families sheltering near gurdwaras across Delhi, the hope is simple: That one day, they can cross back into their homeland not as refugees, but as citizens free to practice their faith without fear.
Until that day, Delhi’s gurdwaras continue to be sanctuaries. Each ritual is an assertion of belonging and a refusal to let persecution dictate identity.
Zaffar Iqbal is a journalist based in Kashmir, India. He has reported on armed encounters, environmental issues, crime, politics, culture and human rights. He’s formerly the bureau chief of Jammu-Kashmir for NDTV.