Wife of kidnapped Afghan Sikh writes to PM Modi; calls for granting Indian citizenship

The wife of kidnapped Afghan Sikh has written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting assistance from the Indian government for the release of her husband. Nidan Singh Sachdeva was kidnapped on June 17 from Chamkani, Paktia in eastern Afghanistan.

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Mahrwanti wrote to India's prime minister on 25th June saying, "Government of India is requested to provide us appropriate assistance and take appropriate action as deemed fit".

"I request you to kindly repatriate him back to New Delhi immediately after his release and grant us Indian citizenship at the earliest," she added. 

Nidan Singh was kidnapped from Gurdwara Tala Sahib, Chamkani in Afghanistan. He was there to maintain the Gurdwara where according to history Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism had visited.  He was the lone person managing and performing community service in the Gurudwara. 

Singh and his family of 6 - wife, two sons and three daughters had moved to India in 1992 due to civil unrest in Afghanistan and have been staying in New Delhi as refugees. While the identity of abductors is not known, Paktia is the epicentre of the Taliban and has been a safe haven for terror groups like the Haqqani network. 

He was a cook by profession in Delhi and used to earn a livelihood by undertaking meal orders for langar community kitchens. 

India had "strongly condemn" the abduction of Nidan Singh with the ministry of external affairs in a release saying, "The targeting and persecution of the minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters is a matter of grave concern."

The Indian government is in touch with the Afghan government on the issue and is hoping the "government of Afghanistan would be able to secure safe and early release of Nidan Singh.”, MEA said.