the festival of vaisakhi.lebrates the birth of the religion and commemorates the fight against persecution. i am with arinder singh, a teacher who has prepared the kids for the big day. the sikh community has never taken sides in the four decades of war and violence that have plagued afghanistan. but in the ongoing troubles here, this ethnic and religious minority has been feeling ever more vulnerable. we have arrived at the main temple in kabul, which is also called a gurdwara. sikhs have converged here from across the city and beyond. five children have the honour of representing the warriors baptised by the guru gobind singh, who led the sikhs‘ fight against religious persecution in india 300 years ago. singing. sikhs have lived here for centuries and have gathered and celebrated vaisakhi every year — through the soviet invasion, civil war and taliban rule. but this year the big day is overshadowed by a deep sense of loss. in the 1990s, the sikh community in afghanistan numbered around 250,000. much of the

sikhs have lived here for centuries and have gathered and celebrated vaisakhi every year.soviet invasion, civil war and others. but this year the biggest day is overshadowed by a deep sense of loss. in the 1990s, the sikh community in afghanistan numbered around 250,000. much of the country's trade and commerce was run by sikhs. in the community flourished. thousands would gather in the streets for religious events and whole districts we re religious events and whole districts were populated by sikhs. but today's community is estimated to be as few as 100 families. bodies are empty and it is a risk to step outside —— properties are empty. narender singh is the sikh community's only member of the afghan parliament. he is armed —— under armed guard around the clock. inside the temple compound is a shrine to those sikhs who were killed in a devastating suicide attack last year. it was a tragedy that brought the entire community —— rocks the entire community. suicide bombers have targeted an entire delegation of sikhs in the city of jalala bad as entire delegation of sikhs in