Canada’s Sikh outreach imperilled India’s Kabul evacuation mission
- In Reports
- 12:18 PM, Jul 08, 2024
- Myind Staff
A recent Canadian media report has revealed that former Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan prioritised the evacuation of the Afghan Sikh community during the fall of Kabul, creating significant interest in India. This prioritisation is believed to have caused unexpected hurdles for the Indian evacuation mission in August 2021, exposing Hindu and Sikh minorities to increased risks at the Kabul airport, according to informed sources.
The complications arose due to instructions from the Canadian Sikh minister, whose father is reportedly a member of the World Sikh Organisation. These directives allegedly delayed an Indian evacuation flight amidst the chaotic scenes at Kabul airport following the Taliban's capture of the Afghan capital on August 15, 2021. A report by Canada’s Globe & Mail mentioned that Sajjan specifically ordered the immediate evacuation of Afghan Sikhs, who were not initially on the Canadian military's radar. Sajjan, currently the Minister of Emergency Preparedness in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, has denied these allegations.
According to senior Indian government officials, an evacuation process for a group of Afghan Sikhs from the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul was planned for the night of August 20-21 under Operation Devi Shakti. This operation was complex, involving a security convoy navigating heavily armed checkpoints controlled by various militias, while the Kabul airport was under US forces' control.
During this process, the Afghan Sikh group diverted from the agreed plan and headed directly to the Canadian mission in Kabul. This deviation, reportedly due to Sajjan’s instructions via a Canada-based Sikh NGO, intended for the Afghan Sikhs to be evacuated to Canada.
The diversion caused significant delays and concerns for Indian officials managing the evacuation from both Delhi and Kabul, as the Afghan Sikh group became unreachable for over two hours. When Indian officials inquired about the group's whereabouts, they were informed that the Trudeau government had assured the Afghan-Sikh community of their evacuation to Canada. This delay endangered other evacuees waiting for the flight to Delhi amidst the escalating violence in Kabul.
Despite the Trudeau government's assurances, the Sikh group could not be evacuated and sought assistance from the Narendra Modi government once again. The group, which included a former Afghan MP, was finally evacuated to India on August 22, 2021, in an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft.
Under Operation Devi Shakti, India successfully evacuated 669 individuals from Afghanistan, including 206 members of the Afghan Hindu and Sikh minority communities. Between August 16, 2021, and December 10, 2021, the Indian government operated seven flights and evacuated 15 foreign nationals using IAF aircraft from Delhi and the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan. Additionally, on August 23, 2021, three copies (swaroops) of the Guru Granth Sahib were brought to India from Kabul gurdwaras, and on December 10, 2021, two more swaroops and ancient Hindu manuscripts were evacuated alongside several Afghan Sikh and Hindu evacuees.
Image source: IndiaTimes
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