“Kabul Gurdwara Vandalisation Raise World Concern:” India
NEW DELHI, Oct 7: India on Thursday said the vandalisation of a gurdwara in Kabul by armed men was a matter of concern and the world community must insist on the protection of the human rights of all segments of Afghan society.
Suspected Taliban fighters entered the Gurdwara Karte Parwan on October 5, tied up guards and destroyed CCTV cameras. The men also briefly occupied the building, smashed several locks and conducted a search, triggering concerns within the Sikh minority.
“The reports of vandalism and intolerance raise concerns not just for us, but across the world,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a regular news briefing.
“It is important that the international community continues to insist on the fulfillment of goals outlined in the UN Security Council resolution 2593,” he said. He was referring to a Security Council resolution adopted on August 30, when India held the rotational presidency of the UN body.
He said the resolution guides the world community’s collective approach towards Afghanistan, and states that all countries should ensure that Afghan territory isn’t used for terrorism and that the rights of all Afghans, including women and minorities, were protected.
The resolution also encourages all parties to seek an inclusive and negotiated settlement in Afghanistan, he said. Bagchi said the regional security situation, including Afghanistan, had figured in US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman’s talks with her Indian interlocutors on Wednesday. “We highlighted our perspective on the role of Pakistan and what our concerns are regarding that,” he said.
In response to several questions, Bagchi said the issue of resumption of commercial flights to Afghanistan for the evacuation of Indian nationals and return of Afghan citizens was a sensitive issue. The visas of Afghan citizens stuck in India, facing problems for their return, were being automatically extended, he said.
He further said India was yet to decide on the level of its participation in a meeting on Afghanistan convened by the G20 on October 12. He added that there was no information about India being extended any invitation for a meeting on Afghanistan being organised by Russia.
(Manas Dasgupta)
