Three many years on, with the Taliban again in Kabul, the spiritual fundamentalist group appears to be controlling their destiny once more — the couple’s visa purposes to India to immerse Nishant’s ashes within the Ganga are caught since September “despite submitting all required documents”, ostensibly because of stringent checks required after the Taliban regime’s return in 2021.

Nishant, 32, died of a mind assault in February, and the Kakkars, Hindus from Afghanistan who nonetheless maintain Afghan passports, are awaiting a nod from the Indian Embassy to make the journey to Haridwar and let their son’s “soul to rest in peace”.

An worker at McDonald’s in Frankfurt, Kakkar just isn’t a lone case. Many amongst almost 3,000 Afghan Sikh and Hindu households settled in Germany — many nonetheless with Afghan passports — have failed over the months to get a visa, with the Indian Embassy both “rejecting” purposes “without giving a reason” or “sitting over them”.

Jaganth Gerdezi, president, Afghan Hindu Cultural Association, Germany, mentioned at the least 100 visa purposes of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus are pending, of which at the least 20 are from households who wish to go India for “asthi visarjan (immersing ashes) in the Ganga”. “Five more people have died here in the last two weeks,,” he added.

“Off the record, we were told that there was security concern for people with Afghan passports…no reason for visa denial has been given to us officially,” Gerdezi mentioned. Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs (M,EA) mentioned visas are taken care of by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

An MHA spokesperson mentioned there isn’t a such coverage to disclaim visas to Afghan passport holders however “visa issuing process takes time.”

Another MHA official mentioned: “Visas applications from Afghan nationals have been held due to security reasons since the Taliban came to power. The backlog is being cleared after due verification.”

Kakkar advised The Sunday Express over the cellphone from Frankfurt: “My son never walked on his own feet for life. At least he deserves final peace for his soul. We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi-ji to please issue our visas so that we can immerse the ashes of our son at Haridwar…”

An Afghan Sikh neighborhood chief, requesting anonymity, mentioned Afghan Sikhs and Hindus with Afghan passports residing in international locations reminiscent of Sweden, the UK and the UAE, the UK are additionally being denied visas to India for the reason that regime change in Kabul. “Their valid visas were also declared invalid and fresh ones are not being issued despite emergencies such as deaths in family or medical treatment,” he mentioned.

Kakkar fled Kabul almost three many years in the past because the state of affairs in Afghanistan deteriorated for Hindu and Sikh minorities. Leaving behind his flourishing forex change enterprise, Kakkar mentioned he began from scratch in his new dwelling.

From finishing demise rituals to visiting households, pilgrimage to Haridwar and Golden Temple to getting therapy for well being points, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs in Germany have been visiting India with none hindrance for the final many many years however “things suddenly changed” after the Taliban takeover of Kabul final yr, they mentioned. They mentioned their visas are being rejected by India “without specifying any reason”, and regardless of Modi’s promise to “help persecuted minorities from Pakistan and Afghanistan”.

For households like Kakkar’s, the state of affairs is grave. “We cannot keep the ashes here after cremation for long as per German rules,” he mentioned. “We have to pay them a certain amount if ashes have to be kept beyond a year. I have only two months left to keep my son’s ashes at the local crematorium. Modi-ji said he will help Hindus and Sikhs persecuted in Islamic countries…. Then we are being denied visas? Special flights went from India to rescue Afghan Sikhs and Hindus from Kabul after the Taliban came. Why can’t we come to India to give peace to our son’s soul?”

Bansi Lal Juneja (67) and his spouse Pamila Devi (60), an Afghan Hindu couple residing in Cologne, Germany, have acquired a visa rejection a yr after their software. Juneja, who suffers from a liver ailment, wished to endure Ayurveda therapy in India, as additionally go to kinfolk in Delhi.

Their daughter-in-law, Madhu Juneja, mentioned: “My in-laws still hold Afghan passports. But never before did we face an issue getting a visa for India. After the Taliban takeover, it seems they (Indian authorities) are rejecting applications of Afghan passport-holders without doing any background check, or verification or purpose of visit. Despite being Hindu immigrants from Afghanistan, they are now being denied visas. My father-in-law’s treatment is going on in Germany but it is proving ineffective, so we wanted to start Ayurvedic treatment in India.”

Madhu mentioned they’d utilized for visas in December 2021, and acquired a reply after a yr, stating that the appliance was rejected. “But no reason has been specified for the rejection,” she added.

Gardezi advised The Sunday Express: “No time-line is being given. They are simply denying visas to Hindus and Sikhs because they hold Afghan passports. We have been visiting India for years to complete death rituals, weddings, visiting families, pilgrimage to Haridwar, etc. There was no problem. Suddenly, we cannot enter India just because we have Afghan passports…”

In their newest letter to Modi, the Council wrote: “We introduce ourselves as Afghan Hindus who migrated from Afghanistan to different parts of the world & European Countries in the last two (or) three decades. In Germany, most of us are now well settled…but few families and (their) aged parents still have asylum status. They are availing all benefits and support from the German government, except to travel abroad they have a Travel Document and Afghan passport…. Being Hindus, we wish to visit Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. We also have to visit Haridwar to perform the last rituals of the deceased family members. In this connection, we are facing problems in getting a visa for India…. Please help us in getting the necessary visa for those who want to perform the last rites…”