Afghan-Sikhs are faced with the problem of not having proper burial places for deaths of Sikhs

By Tan Ong

Afghanistan (CHAKRA) — On a two day visit to Afghanistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met members of the Afghan-Sikh minority community in Kabul. He listened to their issues with regards to obtaining Indian citizenship and other problems the Sikh community was facing such as threats and killings in Muslim-majority Afghanistan.

To hear the problems, the Prime Minister met members of the community in the presidential palace complex.

The community members stated their concern about their community’s population decreasing because of migration out of the country, including India. Over 90 percent of the Sikh Afghan community has migrated out of the country.

The lack of a proper cremation ground in Kabul and constant attacks by Islamic extremists has caused an issue for the Sikh community to complete their funeral rites.

In total there are 531 Afghan-Sikh families in Afghanistan of which 143 families reside in Kabul.

An orange-coloured “robe of honour” was presented to the prime minister, know as a siropa. Thereafter, the prime minister was introduced to members of the Indian embassy, the Indo-Tibetan border police, as well as to the Indian Medical Mission.

Manmohan Singh praised the community for staying strong during hard times. He saluted their courage and was pleased to see the community creating goodwill for India.

Veteran Mukhtiar Singh with his longtime Wife

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CHAKRA) - A Sikh man who fought the Communist rebels in what was once called Malaya, has been denied pension on grounds of some technicalities in Malaysia.

Mukhtiar Singh was a veteran fighter and ranked Captain thinks his years of service in the police and army with pride as well as disrespect. Pride existed from his fearless years of service  and feels disrespect because his basic right to a pension has been declined.

Mr.Singh was sent to Malaya by his farmer parents in the Indian state of Punjab to get an education. The spread of crisis in Malaysia in late 1940s, however, changed everything as he was drafted into the police force.

Mukhtiar was made acting inspector in 1954 and led a 36-man platoon to two Selangor Battle Defensive Shields. Singh’s platoon was responsible for the capture and elimination of over a dozen insurgents.

Mukthiar was recognised for his role in ridding Selangor of insurgents during a parade held to mark the end of the communist threat in the state.

He is upset that despite having served the government for over 25 years, he has been denied his rightful pension. However, Mikthiar Singh has not given up hope that his great police and army services to the nation of muslim-majority Malaysia will finally be recognised with the help of some friends.