India Should Ask Other Countries Of The Subcontinent — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan — Where Are Your Hindus?On 25 March, an Islamic State terrorist opened fire at Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib, killing 25 Sikhs. "We have been left to practise our faith in peace," one man says.

Hindu or Vedic history in Afghanistan dates back thousands of years with some of the earliest settlements of people now identified as Hindus.

"There is a place in Jalalabad where it is believed Guru Nanak visited in the 15th century and is very sacred to the Sikhs in Afghanistan," says Rawail Singh, an Afghan Sikh civil rights activist, adding that Jalalabad, to the east of Kabul, continues to have a subst… he asks.Despite the discrimination, Afghan Hindus and Sikh strongly identify with their national identity. For the first time in history Hindus don't exist in those places. It was no solution to Hindu-Muslim problem. "It is indeed tragic how our Hindu and Sikh brothers have been treated over the years.

"There is a place in Jalalabad where it is believed Guru Nanak visited in the 15th century and is very sacred to the Sikhs in Afghanistan," says Rawail Singh, an Afghan Sikh civil rights activist, adding that Jalalabad, to the east of Kabul, continues to have a substantial Sikh population. But, sociologists note, the population of Hindu and Sikh minorities has seen a drastic decline over the past several decades. According to The World Factbook Sunni Muslims constitute between 84.7 - 89.7% of the population, and Shia Muslims between 10 - 15%. "If you go through the evidence and data from the 1970s to date, you will be able to see how drastically their population has fallen," says Ehsan Shayegan, an Afghan researcher with Porsesh Research and Studies Organization studying the minority religions of Kabul. " "The security of the country is deteriorating for all - whether they are Hindu or Muslim. Can't a non-Muslim be an Afghan?"

They're an integral part of our history and community, and we are working to improve their conditions," he told Al Jazeera, adding that the government was looking into all allegations of land grabbing made by Sikhs and Hindus.The problem, however, lies in the inadequate systems and institutions that were brought in place post-2001, according to Shayegan. Afghanistan's history is full of such anecdotes and lore about a substantial thriving community of Hindus and Sikhs who have called this country their home over the centuries. "One of the reasons behind this decline is of course forced conversion," he added.If the same figure is assumed for the Hindus in Pakistan (who are worse-off than the Sikh community in the socio-economic parameters), This might explain the reluctance of the Pakistani government in publishing the population figures for Hindu and Sikh minorities. According to reports in the Afghan media, there were some 2.2 lakh Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Subscribe here.

History says, YES,” Singh writes in his book.In 1988, on the first day of Baisakhi festivities, a man with an AK-47 stormed a gurdwara in Jalalabad and gunned down 13 Sikhs. "There is only so much a community can tolerate. "But if our life is under threat, if our families are faced with risks, we have to leave," he adds with some sadness.At the Hindu temple, the men huddle together in rooms for a shared meal of delicacies of sweet rice made with raisins, sweets, and dried fruits.

"I'm terrified he will kidnap me, force me to accept Islam and marry him..he is not Hindu. An investigation by TOLOnews reveals that the Sikh and Hindu population number was 220,000 in the 1980's. Several Hindu, Buddhist, Jain relics have been found here.According to him, Hindu rulers once reigned over Eastern Afghanistan, including Kabul, and were replaced only by the end of the 10th century by Ghaznavids.In 1504, Mughal Emperor Babur captured Kabul. We owe our loyalty to the soil of Afghanistan - we are Afghans," he says. This is how this place got its name joy-e-sheer, which translates to 'stream of milk' from Dari," Ramnath tells "Of course, those are reminiscent tales of the past. In 1989, Gurdwara Guru Teg Bahadur Singh in Jalalabad was hit by rockets fired by the Mujahideen and 17 Sikhs were killed.After the Mujahideen takeover, the exodus of Hindus and Sikhs worsened. Their numbers dwindled to 15,000 when the Taliban took control. Can an Afghan be a Hindu or a Sikh? he adds.Afghanistan's history is full of such anecdotes and lore about a substantial thriving community of Hindus and Sikhs who have called this country their home over the centuries. There are seven rooms built in a circle that serve as the temple for the various Hindu goddesses and gods, and one expansive hall, colourfully decorated and covered in Persian carpets, that serves as the community prayer room.The women celebrate separately from the men. “Babur used to refer to Kabul as ‘Hindustan’s own market’ and the province of Kabul remained with Hindustan until 1738,” he says.According to the historian, until the 1970s, there were at least 2 lakh Sikhs and Hindus (in a 60:40 ratio) in Afghanistan. There is also a separate dining hall and community kitchen for the men and women who come to the temple.Ramnath, 25, explains that "this is because the culture among Afghan Hindus is predominantly Pashtun". "If we don't hurt anyone, why would anyone want to hurt us? "We were harassed, our lands were forcefully taken, we were persecuted and even killed for even slightest display of our faith.

"Maybe if the situation changes and things get better, they might come back to better Afghanistan," he says.Women in northeast Senegal are using solar-powered irrigation to farm food and halt the encroaching desert.Survivors of sex trafficking and those who investigate it in the city share their stories.More than 1,000km apart, a filmmaker and the subject of his film contend with the methods and meanings of solitude. Incidents of systematic and institutional discrimination have even made local headlines, although many more go unreported, he says.Singh agrees. "This is our land, the land of our ancestors.

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