Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh made his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday when the raised the issue of attacks on gurdwaras and Sikhs in Afghanistan and expressed concerns over a “sharp decline” in Sikh population there.
While raising this issue during the Zero Hour, Mr. Singh who was nominated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Upper House wondered why the attack was happening on Sikhs only.
“I have stood up to speak on the attacks on Sikhs and Gurudwaras in Afghanistan. This is not only a matter which has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs living across the world, but it is also an attack on the identity of being a Sikh…why such attacks on us only… why are we being targeted?,” he said, mentioning incidents of attacks on gurdwaras and the killing of Sikhs in Afghanistan.
The AAP MP pointed out that the population of Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan has reduced sharply over the past few decades, coming down from a few lakhs in 1980 to a handful of them now.
Mr. Singh also spoke about the role played by gurudwaras like providing food and oxygen, during the COVID-19 pandemic asserting that Sikhs were known for the hard work and bravery.
