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

 Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen informed The Hindu that a commission headed by the Minister of Justice has been formed to return properties

Digital Desk: In an additional effort to engage with India, Taliban officials in Afghanistan are launching programmes to return private land to Hindu and Sikh minorities.

As reported by Time of India, these estates are being seized from warlords linked to the previous Western-backed regime.

According to a Taliban spokesman, this move is a significant step towards resolving the injustices faced by religious minorities in Afghanistan, who have long been displaced and marginalised.

This move is seen by Indian officials as a positive step towards India. The return of Narender Singh Khalsa, a member of parliament who represents the Sikh and Hindu populations, to Afghanistan from Canada is a noteworthy milestone, according to TOI.

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen informed The Hindu that a commission headed by the Minister of Justice has been formed to return properties seized by warlords during the previous regime to their rightful owners.

Shaheen highlighted the return of Narendar Singh Khalsa, a former member of the disbanded Afghan parliament after the Taliban took power in August 2021.

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

Initially housed in Delhi, Khalsa later moved to Canada. While India has not officially recognised the Taliban government in Kabul, there are signs of improving 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 discussed various issues, including cooperation against ISKP, with 'Foreign Minister' Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The Hindu and Sikh communities have historically been vital components of Afghanistan's population, accounting for around 1% of its demographic makeup. However, their exodus began in the late 1970s and 1980s amid political turmoil and the Soviet invasion, as reported by The Hindu.