THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: His heart skips a beat every time he sees a flash on ‘Afghanistan’ or ‘Taliban’ on the TV screen. It’s his concern about the safety of his parents and siblings back in Afghan capital Kabul that gives Hakeem Jan Muffaker, a research scholar at the University of Kerala, sleepless nights.
The 38-year-old Afghan national, whose research topic is ‘A Comparative Study of Development in Afghanistan and India’, believes his country has once again been pushed into troubled times. Muffaker, who was a director at the Ministry of Urban Development and Land in the Afghan government, took a break from his job to pursue PhD at Kerala University two years ago. He says he was lucky to bring at least his wife and children with him.
Muffaker believes the development and progress that war-ravaged Afghanistan has seen over the past two decades would come to naught following the capture of power by the Taliban. “There is widespread concern over persecution of innocent people and blatant violation of human rights by the new regime. Equally worrisome is the condition of women, especially the education of girls,” he told TNIE.
Besides criticising the timing of the pullout of US troops from the country, he also blamed neighbour Pakistan for the state of affairs in Afghanistan. “Pakistan has always meddled in the internal affairs of Afghanistan as it never wants a strong government in our country,” Muffaker said.
He also has concerns about the future of numerous infrastructure projects back home which were also carried out with support from India. “India should take the lead in ensuring the international community’s intervention to protect the rights of ordinary citizens of Afghanistan. The Taliban gaining prominence there would also spell trouble for India, especially in the Kashmir region,” he warned.
A few other Afghan researchers and students in the university whom TNIE talked to expressed grave concern over the situation in their homeland. The Afghan nationals, who spoke on condition of anonymity, termed as ‘heart-breaking’ the image of youths falling to death from a US military aircraft following their futile attempt to escape from the country by clinging on the wheels of the plane.
“It’s hard to concentrate on studies when our country is going through such turmoil. We call up our parents at least three to four times a day to ensure that they are safe,” said an Afghan student pursuing PG in the varsity. At present, there are around 15 Afghan students in the university who have come as part of a scholarship programme offered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
“Every year, ICCR offers over 3,500 scholarships to foreign students of which 1,000 are earmarked exclusively for Afghan students,” said Dr Sabu Joseph, director of KU’s Centre for Global Academics.
This year, 11 Afghan students have taken admission under various programmes in the varsity but their arrival is uncertain now. “We have written to the ICCR to prevail upon the Centre for allowing visa to these students on a priority basis so that they can pursue their studies in the peaceful environs of the university,” Dr Sabu said.