Kite Fights ( The Proxy Wars Behind The Kabul Gurdwara Massacre ) The Faces of Terror In India - Bhajan Singh Bhinder Pieter Friedrich

The book "Kite Fights: The Proxy Wars Behind The Kabul Gurdwara Massacre" by Bhajan Singh Bhinder and Pieter Friedrich analyzes the March 2020 massacre of Sikh worshippers at a gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan.

📚 Key Summary Points

• The Incident: The book focuses on the massacre of Sikh worshippers in a Kabul gurdwara in March 2020, an event that sent shockwaves through the global Sikh community.

• Competing Narratives:

  • ISIS Claim: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility, stating their motive was revenge for Hindu nationalist actions in Kashmir.

  • Indian Government Claim: The regime of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi swiftly blamed the massacre on Pakistan.

  • Book's Premise: The authors question the official narrative and suggest that the violence is rooted in the rise of Hindu nationalism in India and its alleged regional "proxy wars."

• Hindu Nationalism and Minorities: The book argues that with Hindu nationalism dominating New Delhi, India's minorities, including Sikhs, are caught in the cross-hairs of a violent religious nationalist movement.

• The "Akhand Bharat" Vision: It discusses the movement's goal to create a Hindu supremacist super-state called "Akhand Bharat" (Undivided India) by attempting to swallow all the nations of South Asia.

• Afghanistan as a "Second Front": The book asserts that this Hindu nationalist movement has long viewed Afghanistan as a "second front" for its regional proxy wars.

• Broader Warning: It frames the circumstances behind the Kabul massacre as a potential launch of a destructive script where "laboratories of terror are replicated and set loose by rogue actors," leading to mass displacement and human tragedy.

  Key themes & arguments

  Here are some of the major themes the authors explore:

  1. The Kabul massacre as a “symbolic” trigger

  • The attack on the gurdwara in Kabul is not simply an isolated act of terrorism, but is treated as a symbolic trigger in which multiple narratives (religious, regional, ideological) converge. 

  • For instance: ISIS claimed it was retaliation for India’s actions in Kashmir, but the authors challenge whether that claim holds up under scrutiny—especially since the victims were Sikhs in Afghanistan, not Hindus or Kashmiris.

  2. Proxy warfare & regional strategic competition

  • The authors argue that Afghanistan is increasingly being treated as a “second front” by competing powers in South Asia — one where India, Pakistan, and other actors might be involved in indirect or covert ways. 

  • They suggest that “proxy wars” can exploit religious or ethnic conflicts to advance state or ideological interests, often through third-party militant groups. 

  3. Identity politics, nationalism and minorities

  • The book points out that as Hindu-majoritarian nationalism (in India) rises, minorities (including Sikhs) may become caught between larger geopolitical/ideological schemes.

  • It also argues that the massacre of Afghan Sikhs opens a window into how minority communities can be targeted or instrumentalised in broader power struggles.

  4. The “narrative war” or information war

  • Beyond physical violence, the book emphasizes how narratives—who claims responsibility, how blame is assigned, how the event is used politically—are themselves battlegrounds. 

  • For example, the swift attribution of blame, the role of media, intelligence, and public diplomacy become part of the story of what really happened and why.

  5. Humanitarian and moral implications

  • The book does not focus purely on geopolitical games; it also highlights the human cost: displacement, fear, minority vulnerability, and the broader unintended consequences of proxy warfare.

  • It challenges readers to reflect on how “wars behind the wars” often leave civilians – especially marginalised ones – bearing the brunt.