Hope, Love and Ayurveda

There is a dwindling, yet thriving (in their falling numbers) sikh-hindu community in Afghanistan.  Up until the early 90s, there were over 50,000 Sikhs in the country. The Civil war and rise of the Taliban forced most of the Sikhs (who ran the businesses in Kabul city) out of the country. They immigrated in large numbers to Iran, Pakistan and India.

Today, approximately 3000 sikhs live in the country, under a 1000 of which are in Kabul city. Ever so often I drive past the area they live and every single time my driver will point out "look look this is where the sikhs live, they are from your country".

The Sikhs are often asked by fellow Afghans "when are you returning to india". They are not returning to India. Afghanistan is their home and its been their home for centuries.

It traces back to 1834 AD, when Sardar Hari Singh Nalua (a Sikh) was appointed the first non-muslim governer of Peshawar by Maharaja Hari Singh. Dost Mohammad, the Afghan ruler of Kabul attempted to regain his supremacy over Peshawar that he had lost and dispatched his son Akbar in 1837 AD to recover it. He did, after a bloody battle ensued and Sardar Hari Singh Nalua lost his life.  Thus the great Sardar with the terror of whose name Afghan mothers used to quieten their fretful children attained his martyrdom.

One prominent Sikh and his brother run an Ayurvedic clinic in their neighbourhood in Kabul.  A fresh stock of medicines are imported from Pakistan each month.

The ayurvedic healers

As soon as I heard about them, curiosity got the better of me and I was on my merry way to meet them.
We chatted for an hour or so. Talked about India, Punjab and the famous Sikh/Punjabi hospitality.

Ayurvedic Medicines imported from Pakistan

One of the brothers climbed a ladder, scanned a number of bottles with different colored liquids on a shelf, made a quick mental assessment and pulled one out. Handed it over to me and instructed that I take one teaspoon 3 times a day after meals. "It will keep your blood clean, make your face glow and no man will be able to resist you". Suddenly I felt electric, my eyes lit up and I found myself clutching my bottle of magic portion rather tightly.





The four walls of the clinic not only holds a 1000 bottles of Ayurvedic medicine in odd shapes and sizes but has witnessed endless sessions in counseling, therapy, astrology and marriage advice. Patients come in for medicine and leave with a smile on their face, not from the medication but from receiving a 5 star love astrology report.

The faith healer

People want to know their future, the unknown always spikes curiosity in us.  Given the grim conditions in Afghanistan where it looms over us like a cloud of darkness, people don't want to be reminded of the present, they only want to know the happy positive and good things about their future. The little hope they can hold on to. 

"Even in the midst of war and despair, people want to know that they will find true love and marry" they said to me. "It is love that keeps us alive".