Why Afghan students are caught in middle

NEW DELHI: Given the rapid pace at which the Taliban has been capturing different provinces of Afghanistan, a masters student at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) cannot even think about returning home. However, he doesn’t seem to have a choice as his visa is ending on September 15. His parents, who are in Kabul, have asked him to try everything to stay in India.
His fears have been echoed by other students from Afghanistan studying in different universities in Delhi. Many of them, who are at the end of their programmes, are trying hard to get their visas extended. Many even want to continue their studies, especially at JNU, but they cannot afford the high fees for foreign students given the prevailing economic situation of their families. To get the Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship, they will have to return to Afghanistan.
“Can’t the Indian government give us long-term visas because of the critical situation? Can’t JNU make an exception for us and reduce the fees? A few students from the Hazara community cannot return,” said the student, wondering for how long he would be able to continue talking to his family back home.
Another student, Mohammad Shafiq Sultan, a masters student of international relations at JNU, said his home in Wardak province was already under Taliban control.
“My visa is only till December. As the course is coming to an end, I will have to leave the hostel. I had spoken to the authorities at the Afghan consulate, but with the regime changing even they don’t know what will happen. Every year, the Indian government gives scholarships to 1,000 Afghan students. In this situation, the government should extend the scholarships,” Sultan told TOI.
For Ali Asghar, an extension of the scholarship would help him pursue further education here. “The province I belong to is already captured by the Taliban. People are living in fear. If I return for the sake of scholarship, I will never be able to come back for studies or a job. I don’t think the Taliban regime will allow such scholarships and let students leave the country. Our future depends on how the Indian government and the university help us,” he added.
Those enrolled in Delhi University colleges have also been having problems managing their lives. “I’m studying on self-financing mode and living in a paying guest accommodation in North Campus. My parents haven’t been able to send money. I have written to the dean (students welfare) and the college to allow me to shift to a hostel, but I haven’t heard from them,” said a second-year student on anonymity.
Students who took admission in 2020 and attended online classes are still waiting to hear from their universities.
A sociology masters student at JNU said, “In Kabul, banks and business centres are closing down. We are confined to our houses. In my family, we are four young women, including my sister-in-law. My family members are worried and want me to go to India and study. I have written to the administration, but they are yet to reply.”