THE HISTORY AND CURRENT POSITION OFAFGHANISTAN’S HINDU AND SIKH POPULATION

A paper by Roger Ballard

Centre for Applied South Asian Studies

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Anarkali Hunaryar Gets Bravery, Violence Elimination Award

Source

Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Kabul (BNA) Dr. Sayed Makhdom Raheen, Minister of Information and Culture congratulated Anarkali for her being awarded the award of bravery and elimination of violence.
Miss. Anarkali Hunaryar is an active human rights activist in the country and has got the 2011 award of Madan Jiet Singh for the first time in the history of the nation.
Addressing the ceremony Dr. Raheen congratulated Miss Anarkhali and said that we should struggle against all types of violence against women.
Condemning violence against women Dr. Raheen added that I congratulate the victory of Miss Anarkali Hunaryar to all countrymen and praise the services of personality of Madan Jet Singh the good will ambassador of UNESCO who has rendered outstanding services for the South Asian nations and considered his services in growth of culture as very important.
The senate message was also read out by Omara Khan Head of the South-Asia for Afghanistan.
Miss Anarkali thanked the ministry of information and culture for organizing the ceremony and said that this award does not belong to her but it is the pride of all Afghan people.

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د یونیسکو د زړورتیا جایزه یوې افغانې پېلغې وګټله

News article in Pashto from BBC

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Ambassador Madanjeet Singh’s interview with Anarkali Honaryar

Afghan Sikh Heroine & 2011 UNESCO Prize laureate Senator Dr Anarkali Kaur Honaryar

 

Anarkali Kaur modern day “Mata Bhago Kaur”

 

 

FRANCE: Afghan women’s rights campaigner is the winners of a United Nations award recognizing her outstanding contributions to the promotion of tolerance and non-violence, the UN announced.

 

Anarkali Kaur, defender of the rights of women and minority groups in Afghanistan received the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, was honoured in a special ceremony on 9 December 2011 at the agency’s headquarters in Paris.

 

Ms Honaryar is honoured for her work helping women who suffer from domestic abuse, forced marriages and gender discrimination and for her commitment to promote the ideals of human dignity, human rights, mutual respect and tolerance in her country.

 

Since graduating from Kabul University, Anarkali Kaur has been working for Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission (AICHR), which has offices throughout Afghanistan. In addition to women’s causes, Anarkali has become known for advocating the rights of Afghanistan’s religious minorities.

 

अफगानिस्तान की अनारकली कोर हुनरयार का चयन वर्ष 2011 के सहिष्णुता व अहिंसा को प्रोत्साहित करने के लिए यूनेस्को-मदनजीत सिंह पुरस्कार के लिए किया गया। अनारकली कोर को अफगानिस्तान की महिलाओं और अल्पसंख्यक गुटों की स्थिति सुधारने, मानवीय गरिमा के आदर्शों, मानवाधिकारों, आपसी सम्मान और सहिष्णुता को बढ़ावा देने की उनकी प्रतिबद्धता के लिए दिया गया।

अनारकली कोर वर्ष 2010 में अफगानिस्तान की संसद वोलेसी जिगरा की निचले सदन में चुनी जाने वाली पहली गैर-मुस्लिम सदस्य हैं। अनारकली अफगानिस्तान की अल्पसंख्यक सिख समुदाय की सदस्य हैं। इन्हें अफगानिस्तान की शेरनी भी कहा जाता है। अनारकली कोर हुनरयार वर्ष 2009 में रेडियो फ्री अफगानिस्तान “पर्सन ऑफ द इयर” चुनी गई थीं।

 

– P. Singh

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Master Ratan Chand Kandhari

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History of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus

Sikh Channel Documentary show on the History of Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan

Gaining understanding of their history, contributions and historical as well as contemporary challenges faced by this community.

ਅਫਗਾਨੀਸਤਾਨ ਦੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਹਿੰਦੁਆਂ ਦਾ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ।
अफगानिस्तान के सिखों और हिन्दुओं का इतिहास

Expert opinions are expressed by 2 key Afghan Sikh Scholars:

1. Khajinder Singh Khurana, a Delhi based Afghan intellectual. After doing extensive research, he has written a book on the history of minorities of Afghanistan. He is currently head of Dharam Prachar Committee at a Gurdwara in Delhi and appears regularly in Zee Punjabi TV in India. He is also one of the representatives of Afghan Sikh Refugees in India. Khajinder Singh Ji has, in past, put up a Photo Exhibition of Afghanistan in Delhi.

2. Dr Joginder Singh Ji is an Afghan Sikh exiled in the UK. He is a former member of National Assembly of Afghanistan (Meshrano Jirga (Pashto: مشرانوجرګه)) equivalent to the Upper Houses of Parliament in UK. He is currently in process of establishing a UK division of Khalsa Diwan Afghanistan, a non-political body which concerns itself with Religious, Educational and Cultural issues. All activities of Khalsa Diwan Afghanistan are published in fortnightly Punjabi newsletter called ”Khalsa Diwan Paigam”.

Broadcast: This program was shown LIVE in UK & Europe from the London Studio of UK based SIKH CHANNEL (Sky 840) on Monday, 12th September 2011 at 21.00 GMT.

 

Excerpt from above video regarding the history for Afghan Hindus and Sikhs:

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