Taliban working to return land to Afghan Sikhs and Hindus

Indian officials viewed this development as a positive gesture towards India.

There are several indications that the Taliban government in Afghanistan is working towards the returning of lands to Sikhs and Hindus that were usurped from them.

This comes amid reports that Narendra Singh Khalsa, the representative of Hindus and Sikhs in the former Afghan parliament, has returned to Afghanistan from Canada.

Most of the land was grabbed from Hindus and Sikhs by Taliban warlords during the earlier Afghan regime.

The Land-Grabbing Prevention and Restitution Commission has started looking into cases of land takovers belonging to Hindu and Sikh communities across the Islamic Emirate, reported Kabul-based Ariana News on March 10.

A month following the initiation by the Taliban's Ministry of Justice, the Taliban has started restoring properties to the displaced Sikhs and Hindus across the country, The Hindu reported.

"A commission chaired by the Minister of Justice has been established to return to their owners all properties which had been usurped by warlords during the former regime," Suhail Shaheen, Head of the Political Office of the Taliban, told The Hindu.

"Hindu and Sikh representatives have engaged in numerous meetings with Taliban officials in Kabul over the past nearly three years. They have expressed concerns about the usurpation of their lands and have urged the Taliban to address the issue," according to Afghanistan International.

Indian officials viewed this development as a positive gesture towards India.