Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar August 18 A Pashto Sikh family here has been waiting to get the Indian citizenship even after 28 years of their migration from Afghanistan when a civil war broke out there. The family comprised Sardara Singh and Narinder Kaur and their three children. All three of them are now married. However they have to apply for their visas every year in order to stay here in India. Shurbir Singh A refugee from afghanistan who migrated to india in 1992 The Ministry of Home Affairs Foreigners Regional Registration Office demands updated passports to extend our visas. This condition cannot be fulfilled without visiting Afghanistan. Having undergone the pain of being miserable and a refugee my heart goes out to those Sikh families who have taken refuge in a gurdwara and are awaiting help to be pulled out. All grown up Shurbir Singh who along with his parents came from Afghanistan in 1992 is irked over the fact that the Ministry of Home Affairs Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) demands updated passports to extend their visas. He said this condition cannot be fulfilled without visiting Afghanistan. Now a parent to two school-going kids he is trading in tyres with the help of his younger brother Arvinder Singh. He was then 10 years old when his family had to come here leaving behind a shop and a house in Jalalabad. Narinder Kaur Shurbirs mother When most of the non-Muslims are fleeing the war-torn country how can we go back to Afghanistan for a passport? I urge the Indian government to help the stranded Sikhs to return to their native country. We are being denied a permanent citizenship even after 28 years of our stay here. What happened to the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) that promised citizenship to the minorities of neighbouring countries? Visuals of the Taliban once again taking over Afghanistan revived memories of his childhood spent in Jalalabad. “We did not have enough time to even pack our bag of clothes. An Afghan military truck dropped us at Peshawar and the Pakistan government felicitated our crossover to India.” “Having undergone the pain of being miserable and a refugee my heart goes out to those Sikh families who have taken refuge in a gurdwara and are awaiting help to be pulled out” he said. Coming back to the present situation he said in the present circumstances officials of the FRRO were asking him to get the passport updated. His mother Narinder Kaur said originally her family was a Pashto. She said: “When most of the non-Muslims are fleeing the war-torn country how can we go back to Afghanistan for a passport?” She urged the Indian government to help the stranded Sikhs to return to their native country. She asked what happened to the promises of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) to grant citizenship to the minorities of neighbouring countries. She said they were denied permanent citizenship even after 28 years of their stay here. Despite repeated attempts the passport office officials could not be contacted.

Stay updated with all the Amritsar Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.