India Tracks Sikh Persecution in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Raises Concerns Through Diplomatic Channels
The Indian government keeps a close watch on reports of persecution against members of the Sikh community in Pakistan and Afghanistan, regularly addressing these concerns through diplomatic engagements. This was confirmed by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
In response to a parliamentary query, Singh stated that the Ministry of External Affairs consistently monitors such reports and raises the issue with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. He elaborated that the persecution of minority communities, including Sikhs, in Pakistan takes the form of intimidation, forced marriages, conversions, and the desecration of religious places.
“The Government of India follows reports of persecution of members of Sikh community in Pakistan and Afghanistan on a regular basis. The atrocities against minority communities in Pakistan are committed in the form of persecution, intimidation, forced marriages, forced conversions, vandalism of their places of religious worship, etc.,” Singh stated.
He added that the Indian government urges Pakistan to fulfill its constitutional duties toward its citizens, especially minority communities, by addressing sectarian violence, deep-rooted prejudices, and religious intolerance.
Regarding Afghanistan, Singh highlighted the Indian government’s swift action during the security crisis in 2021, when 74 members of the Afghan Sikh community were evacuated through special Indian Air Force and Air India flights under Operation Devi Shakti.
India also actively engages with host governments through its diplomatic missions worldwide to ensure the safety and well-being of Sikh and other minority communities abroad. Singh noted that India raises these concerns on international platforms, including at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
E-passports: Enhanced Security and Implementation Update
In a separate parliamentary response, the Ministry of External Affairs provided updates on the introduction of chip-based e-passports. The e-passport, which combines paper and electronic formats, features an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and antenna to enhance security.
“The main benefit of the e-passport is its enhanced ability to maintain the integrity of its data. Since the e-passport has the data in printed form as well as encrypted in the chip, it makes it harder to forge,” said Singh.
The e-passport initiative was launched as a pilot project alongside the rollout of the Passport Seva Program (PSP) Version 2.0 on April 1, 2024. Currently, regional passport offices in Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, and Ranchi have started issuing e-passports. More regional offices are expected to begin issuing them in the near future.
