India Airlifts Over 100 People, Including Afghan Nationals, Holy Books From Kabul

The Indian Armed Forces started "Operation Devi Shakti" on 15 August this year. They evacuated Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Afghanistan after the Taliban captured Kabul. Several Indian Air Force and Air India flights were carried out under the operation, evacuating stranded Indian and Afghan nationals.

A special repatriation flight from Kabul with around 110 people, including Afghanis belonging to the Hindu and Sikh communities arrived in India on Friday.

All the evacuees were brought in an Indian government chartered flight being operated from Kabul.

Earlier in the day, in a statement, the Indian World Forum (IWF) said that the flight is repatriating Indians who were stranded in Afghanistan and distressed Afghan citizens from the Hindu and Sikh communities.

The IWF is coordinating with India's Ministry of External Affairs in the evacuation of stranded Indian citizens in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, three copies of the Sikhs' holy book Sri Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan's historical Gurdwaras and the Hindu scriptures Ramanaya, Mahabharat and Shrimad Bhagavad Gita from the 5th Century Asamai Mandir temple in Kabul have also been brought to India.

अफगानिस्तान में फंसे हमारे सिख व हिन्दू भाई बहनों को निकालने के लिए प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी व @AmitShah जी निरंतर प्रयासरत हैं।आज ऑपरेशन देवी शक्ति के तहत 110 लोगों का जत्था अपने साथ 2 पवित्र गुरु ग्रंथ साहिब जी के पावन स्वरूप व पवित्र गीता को अपने साथ भारत ला रहे हैं। pic.twitter.com/EBazPyucSb

— Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) December 10, 2021

An important update :

Sikh delegation to arrive soon in India from Afghanistan soon under Operation Devi Shakti

They also bring with them the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. pic.twitter.com/LQQO3mP6bP

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) December 10, 2021

A Sikh delegation is arriving in India from Afghanistan soon, under Operation Devi Shakti. The delegation is also bringing with them, Guru Granth Sahib. pic.twitter.com/otcr8pzyeN

— 🚩सुधाकर🚩सिंह🦁राजपूत⚔ (@SudhakarSinghS2) December 10, 2021

A Sikh delegation to arrive soon in India from Afghanistan soon under Operation Devi Shakti. They also bring with them the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. pic.twitter.com/Ne8glPH6Xj

— Kumar Gaurav/कुमार गौरव (@kumarrgaurrav) December 10, 2021

A Sikh delegation to arrive soon in India from #Afghanistan soon under Operation Devi Shakti. They also bring with them the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. pic.twitter.com/Vp3vhyVrjH

— Shivani dhillon (@shivani_sikh) December 10, 2021

A Sikh delegation to arrive soon in India from Afghanistan soon under Operation Devi Shakti. They also bring with them the Holy Guru Granth Sahib #CAA@amritabhinder pic.twitter.com/7UdmyAnpYA

— DILIP KUMAR 🇮🇳 (@DILIPKUMAR9990) December 10, 2021

A Sikh delegation to arrive soon in India from Afghanistan soon under Operation Devi Shakti. They also bring with them the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. pic.twitter.com/RJ65LobAfD

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) December 10, 2021

The Afghan nationals are scheduled to be rehabilitated by Delhi-based NGO Sobti Foundation.

The copies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib will be taken to Gurdwara Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Mahavir Nagar, in New Delhi and the Hindu religious scriptures will be taken to Asamai Mandir in Faridabad city in Haryana state.

In a reply to a question in the Parliament on 3 December, Federal Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan had said that so far, 565 people, including 438 Indians, have been evacuated from Afghanistan under Operation Devi Shakti.

He also informed the Parliament that 74 members of the minority community, primarily Sikhs, have been evacuated from Afghanistan.