11 Afghan Sikhs, Hindus to arrive in India on Sunday

AMRITSAR: Eleven Sikhs and Hindus from Afghansitan, including sehajdhari Sikh Nidan Singh and minor girl Salmeet Kaur, are arriving in India on Sunday.
This is believed to be the first batch of persecuted members of minority communities of Afghanistan arriving to India after ministry of external affairs had decided to facilitate the return, following abduction of Nidan and Salmeet and attack on a gurdwara in Kabul.
Sources in Afghanistan informed that nearly a dozen Sikhs will be boarding a plane to India on Sunday to never return to Afghanistan. “We are living under the constant threat of fundamentalists and want a safe future, which we see only in India,” said sources.
On July 18, 13-year-old Salmeet was allegedly lured by a Kabul boy to accompany him to his village in Panjshir valley. The girl had lost her father and uncle in a terrorist attack on Kabul’s Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib on April 25 in which 25 Sikh men died. The girl was, however, rescued by Afghan police after a maulvi refused to solemnise the marriage of a minor girl to the boy and informed the matter to the police. The girl was handed over to her family members on July 20.
On June 22, Nidan was kidnapped from Gurdwara Talha Shaib in Chamkani district of Paktia province of Afghanistan. He was released on July 18 by his captor. It is believed that a deal was stuck for his release.
On April 25, terrorists had gunned down 25 Sikhs while they were taking part in morning prayers at Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul.
Sources said a larger group of Afghani Hindus and Sikhs will be arriving in phases.
President of Afghan Sikh Hindu Welfare Society Khajinder Singh confirmed that they had got 11 tickets booked for Sunday.