India evacuates 104 people from Kabul, including members of Afghan Hindu-Sikh community

Among those evacuated, 10 were Indians and 94 Afghans. Three copies of the Guru Granth Sahib and Hindu religious texts from an ancient temple in Kabul were also flown in.

A Sikh delegation with the Holy book of Guru Granth Sahib boarding a plane for India under Operation Devi Shakti in Kabul, on 10 December 2021 | ANI Photo

New Delhi: India has evacuated 104 people, including 10 Indian nationals, from Kabul in a special charter aircraft on Friday.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the flight was arranged under India’s operation Devi Shakti.

The operation was launched to evacuate Indians from Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban on August 15.

“Under Operation Devi Shakti, a special Kam Air flight arranged by India has arrived in New Delhi from Kabul,” Bagchi tweeted.

“It has brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghans including members of the Afghan Hindu-Sikh minority community. Among the evacuees are 9 children, including 3 infants,” he said.

The flight is likely to fly back over 90 Afghan nationals stranded in India along with some medical supplies, officials said.

The flight brought three copies of the Guru Granth Sahib and Hindu religious texts from the ancient Asamai Mandir in Kabul.

It is learnt that both the Indian government and the Afghan embassy in Delhi coordinated to arrange for the flight.

Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of Indian World Forum, in a statement earlier, said it’s a matter of pride that the “three holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from historical Gurdwaras in Afghanistan and Hindu religious scriptures, including Ramanaya, Mahabharat and Bhagavad Gita,” from the fifth century Asamai Mandir in Kabul are being brought to Delhi.