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Anarkali Kaur makes Sikhs proud
Jagmohan Singh
 The beleaguered
Sikh community in
Afghanistan
could not have had a better role model. At 25, Anarkali Kaur
Honaryar is a doctor, an activist, a Radio presenter and a member of
the independent Afghan Human Rights Committee and the official
Constitution Committee. With the dupatta decently covering
her head, she presents an image which makes every Sikh proud of her.
Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Free Afghanistan (RFA)’s has declared
her as the Person of the Year and Sikhs worldwide are quite happy to
learn that.
The Sikh society
is male dominated and the society in
Afghanistan is
terribly male-oriented. With the shadow of the Taliban looming
large, the grit and determination of Anarkali Kaur can easily be
compared with the legendary courage of Sundri of Bhai Vir Singh.
Since the last
decade or so, a sizeable chunk of the community has fled
Afghanistan to
reside in India, Europe and the United Kingdom. A large number of
them have been granted asylum and the Southall Bazar, once the
centre of Punjabi Sikhs is now virtually called the Afghani Sikhs
Street. They are ubiquitous by their small and unique turbans and
the brashness of their youth. Not much is known about the status of
their women, though. A large number of Afghani Sikhs live as
stateless persons in India as India continues to grant them stay on
a year to year basis, without confirming their residency.
Though Anjali
Kaur could not fulfil her dream to become a pilot, she is certainly
chanelling her life with respect and would be a shining star for all
those who fight for an equal world.
Honaryar works for the country's Independent Human Rights Commission
and has been consistently campaigning for equal rights and
democracy. She was also a member of the Afghan Constitution
Committee.
She was chosen
as Person of the Year by human rights groups and journalists’ unions
in
Afghanistan.
1 April 2009
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