Afghani Sikhs handed over Gurbani Scriptures to the Sangat of Peshawar

The Afghan Sikhs handed over a large number of Gutka Sahib (handbook of daily prayers), holy religious scriptures to the Sikhs of Peshawar at Torkham border of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday.

In the terror attack at Central Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji at Karte Parwan near Kabul on June 18, some holy scriptures and religious literature kept in the Sikh shrine were damaged and some of them were half burnt.

Afghan Sikh Surbir Singh of Ghazni, Afghanistan told over phone on Friday, “A large number of pothis (holy scripture), Gutka Sahibs, books and a few handwritten scriptures were safe and some of them were half damaged due to fire in the attack at Gurdwara Karte Parwan. When the fire brigade showered water to douse the flames, some of them also got wet and we dried them later. We apprehended unintended/intended disrespect to the holy Sikh scriptures and therefore, it was decided to hand them over to Sikhs of Peshawar, which is nearest location to us with Sikh population.”

Surbir Singh added that the Peshawar Sikhs visited Torkham Border on the eastern part of Afghanistan sharing boundary with Pakistan, where the Sikhs from Kabul went with holy Sikh scriptures and handed them over to the other side. He said the entire process was completed with the intervention of Afghanistan and Pakistan authorities. He said they handed them over the Sikh holy scriptures and started a return journey to Kabul.

Surbir Singh said Hari Singh of Ghazni, Mansa Singh, sewadar (attendant) of Gurdwara Karte Parwan, and Surpal Singh, Sukhbir Singh, Ajmeet Singh, Harmon Singh of Kabul were also went with him to Torkham border from Kabul, to hand over the religious scriptures to Peshawar Sikhs.

Surbir said, “It was decided to hand over religious scriptures to Peshawar Sikhs, as it is the nearest location to us with Sikh population. The Sikhs in Peshawar have the space to keep them safe and they can also distribute the same to different Gurdwaras in their areas. Afghanistan should not be left without the presence of Sikhs.”

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