Kabul:
As Afghanistan voted in a historic parliamentary this weekend, here's the story of two Sikh-Afghans, who despite living in the shadow of the Taliban have dared to fight in these elections- one of them is a woman.
Kabul at the cusp between history and the modernity; the burkha mingles with women in western clothes. Afghanistan is attempting to take another step on the democratic ladder in only its second parliamentary elections. Every inch of space on Kabul's streets is covered with campaign slogans. Unabashedly, women stare down at passersby as much as men candidates.
Twenty five per cent of Afghanistan's Wolesi Jirga- the lower house is reserved for women; that makes it 68 of the 249 seats. 406 of the over 2,500 candidates are women and one of them is an Afghan Sikh, Anarkali Honaryar. A defaced poster illustrates the conservative society she's fighting in. A trained dentist, she wanted to be a pilot, but now she's trying to open the door to be the country's first non-Muslim woman MP.
"Whether Hindu or Sikh in Afghanistan we're Afghans, there are Pashtuns and Aahazaras Tajiks in Afghanistan. I will work not for any one group but for Afghans," says Anarkali.
There were 50,000 Sikh families in Afghanistan in the 90s. Following Taliban rule, currently, the Gurudwara and Masjid committee estimates there are only 1200 Sikhs and about a 100 Hindus in Kabul. Afghan Hindus and Sikhs look up to Diwan Niranjan Das who signed the declaration of Independence in 1919 and became a minister. But, there have never had a representative since at least 1992.
Pritpal Singh Pal was in the Afghan Army under the rule of Najibullah, 22 years ago. He retired after a leg and eye injury and went on to become a unani doctor. He's trying to catch both the old and young vote. He's joined Anarkali in becoming the second Sikh to run for parliament this year.
"Afghans are on the street without work, they're on the chowks. They could become bigger than the Taliban," cautions Pritpal.
Kabul at the cusp between history and the modernity; the burkha mingles with women in western clothes. Afghanistan is attempting to take another step on the democratic ladder in only its second parliamentary elections. Every inch of space on Kabul's streets is covered with campaign slogans. Unabashedly, women stare down at passersby as much as men candidates.
Twenty five per cent of Afghanistan's Wolesi Jirga- the lower house is reserved for women; that makes it 68 of the 249 seats. 406 of the over 2,500 candidates are women and one of them is an Afghan Sikh, Anarkali Honaryar. A defaced poster illustrates the conservative society she's fighting in. A trained dentist, she wanted to be a pilot, but now she's trying to open the door to be the country's first non-Muslim woman MP.
"Whether Hindu or Sikh in Afghanistan we're Afghans, there are Pashtuns and Aahazaras Tajiks in Afghanistan. I will work not for any one group but for Afghans," says Anarkali.
There were 50,000 Sikh families in Afghanistan in the 90s. Following Taliban rule, currently, the Gurudwara and Masjid committee estimates there are only 1200 Sikhs and about a 100 Hindus in Kabul. Afghan Hindus and Sikhs look up to Diwan Niranjan Das who signed the declaration of Independence in 1919 and became a minister. But, there have never had a representative since at least 1992.
Pritpal Singh Pal was in the Afghan Army under the rule of Najibullah, 22 years ago. He retired after a leg and eye injury and went on to become a unani doctor. He's trying to catch both the old and young vote. He's joined Anarkali in becoming the second Sikh to run for parliament this year.
"Afghans are on the street without work, they're on the chowks. They could become bigger than the Taliban," cautions Pritpal.
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