There were some 220,000 of them in 1992. And less than 220 families now, according to this report.

The past 24 years have seen a steady exodus of Hindus and Sikhs from strife-torn Afghanistan. But along with the people, it is also history that has left the country. The two communities are known to have played a prominent role in merchant trade and money lending in Afghanistan.

The majority of the 220 families live in the eastern provinces of Ghazni, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul today.

Although the constitution of Afghanistan drawn up in 2001 after the Taliban government was overthrown guarantees the right of minority religions to worship freely, the Sikhs, for once, paint a completely different picture. "Our lands have been taken by powerful figures in the government, especially by the warlords. We are facing threats, and this small community is getting smaller and smaller every day," said Avtar Singh, from Kabul

A large number have migrated to India, but that's not home either. "When we go to India, we are known as Afghans, but when we are here, we are seen as outsiders even if we are native Afghan," said Baljit Singh, a shopkeeper in Kabul. "We are lost between both worlds."