DHARWAD: Even as dramatic scenes of chaos unfolded at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport after the Taliban took over the Afghan capital, students from the war-torn country who are studying in India are worried about their families and friends back home.
A group of Afghan students at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad has requested the authorities to send them back home so that they can be with their families. But that is next to impossible as there are no fights available and the air space over Kabul has been shut.
The anxious students have been constantly calling their families, over the last few days to know about their wellbeing and the situation on the ground. The students are worried that soon, they may not be able to contact their dear ones as restrictive and ultra-right Taliban may decide to cut the internet and telephone links.
Of the 15 Afghan students studying at UAS Dharwad, five left for Afghanistan about two months ago because of Covid curbs. But 10 students, some of whom are pursuing their PhDs, could not go back. Desperate for help, they have now approached the local police.
‘Only time will tell what happens now’
A PhD scholar said the near future is bleak for their country and citizens. “People enjoyed freedom for the last two decades under the security and patronage of the United States. Now that the US has withdrawn its troops, our country has bounded back 50 years,” he said. “I called my family members and they said that the Taliban forces have assured them that no harm would be done to citizens. But there is no guarantee. Communication links could be cut,” he said. Another student said that their families sensed the impending doom a month ago.
“Our family members had alerted us and asked us if we could go back. We decided to wait for some more time as we are pursuing our studies. Now, things have gone bad for our parents and relatives,” he added.
“Middle class and poor families are struggling to get even basic food items as prices have gone through the roof,” he said. “We cannot decide anything now. We cannot even bring our families here as there are no flights available. Only time will tell what happens next,” the hapless students said.
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