VISAKHAPATNAM: For over 100 students of Andhra University, home is a land of uncertainty, confusion and fear. With the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, the 130 students from that mountainous, landlocked country are worried about their future in India – and their homeland. For them, the present is worrisome, and the future, uncertain. They feel displaced, though it is not the case officially.
“I went home in November 2020. I was supposed to return later this year after completing my course. Now, I don’t know when I’ll go home,” Mohammad Moien Seedeqi said with a blank stare. The youngster has been pursuing a Master’s in Power System Automation in Electronics Department of Andhra University, dreaming of making it big after returning home.
Seedeqi is from Herat, where the Taliban were seen frolicking in an amusement park. His course is to end soon, and his Indian visa will expire in December. Seedeqi has been weighing the possibilities. “I can go back home only if the Taliban are liberal and allow us back,” he tried to sound positive. A pause later, he shared the fear of his countrymen: “Anyone going back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan will be taking a huge risk. They might treat me as a spy or worse...”, his words trailed off.
Seedeqi is worried about his parents and relatives. As of now, he and others from Afghanistan are in contact with their relatives, and all are worried over the safety of those back home. Another student, hailing from north-west Afghanistan, said the war had never stopped in her country. “It has been raging for several years. I don’t know what will happen to me when I go back. The future is uncertain, especially for us women,” she sighed. The young woman requested not to identify her.
She has been seeking answers to several questions: “Will all my education go waste? Will we have to lead a life of refugees with no home to go?” The questions are in the mind of others too. “With the Taliban in power, everything changes, the education system included. No one knows what rules they will implement,” another student, who also requested anonymity, shared the feeling. “We are trying to stay strong. But we are scared and broken inside,” he said.
As many as 130 Afghan students, including about 30 women, are pursuing various courses in Andhra University, and 20 of them are set to graduate this month. They have now sought the university’s help to extend their stay. The university is also aware of the students’ situation.
“We are waiting for instructions from the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the students. Once the government agrees to extend their stay, we will offer them options to admit themselves in various courses at AU, said E N Dhanamjaya Rao, Dean-Foreign Affairs. He said AU will try to offer them scholarships as well.