In an extended endeavour to connect with India, the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan is implementing measures to restore privately owned land to Hindu and Sikh minority communities. 

The properties are being taken back from warlords affiliated with the previous Western-supported government. This move marks a significant step towards rectifying the injustices faced by religious minorities in Afghanistan, who have suffered displacement and marginalisation for an extended period, as stated by a Taliban representative. 

Indian authorities perceive this development as a positive gesture towards India. A noteworthy aspect is the return of Narender Singh Khalsa, a Member of Parliament advocating for the Hindu and Sikh communities, who recently returned to Afghanistan from Canada.  

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen stated, "A commission headed by the Minister of Justice has been formed to return all properties seized by warlords during the previous regime to their rightful owners." Shaheen emphasised the return of Narender Singh Khalsa, a former member of the disbanded Afghan parliament after the Taliban took control in August 2021. 

After the Taliban assumed control in Afghanistan, a notable portion of the Sikh and Hindu population fled the country, including Narender Singh Khalsa, who was part of the initial group evacuated by the Indian Air Force in August 2021. Although initially housed in Delhi, Khalsa eventually moved to Canada. India has not formally acknowledged the Taliban government in Kabul, but there have been signs of improving relations between the two parties. 

On March 7, J.P. Singh, Joint Secretary responsible for the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk at the Ministry of External Affairs, visited Kabul and engaged in talks with 'Foreign Minister' Amir Khan Muttaqi, discussing various matters including collaboration to counter the ISKP. 

The Hindu and Sikh communities have been longstanding components of Afghanistan's demographic makeup, historically representing around 1% of its population. However, the departure of these communities began in the late 1970s and 1980s amid political turmoil and the Soviet invasion that engulfed Afghanistan. 

Image Source: The Hindu