Sunil (named changed), who hails from northern Kerala, had made Kabul his home for the past decade. Never had he imagined that on a day that India celebrated her Independence he would have to scramble to save his life from the advancing Taliban insurgents who were set to capture the Afghan capital.
“On August 15, a group of us (Indians) packed the most essential of our belongings as soon as we got wind that Kabul was on the verge of surrender and headed for the Indian Embassy. A drive that normally takes 10 minutes took us seven hours. Many among us were looted en route. When we reached, we found that the Embassy was closed and at that moment, we felt completely abandoned,” he told The Hindu over phone on Tuesday.
The withdrawal of the Indian diplomatic mission from Afghan soil has left several Indians despondent, with many clinging to each other to find a way out of the country.
Working as a warehouse manager with a United States-headquartered firm in Kabul, Sunil has led a life of quiet for the past 10 years. All that changed following the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Now, many like him are left to fend for themselves. As his camp was taken over by the Taliban, Sunil has been living with a friend.
Around 80 Indians, from Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and so on, have managed to establish contact. While many like Sunil are holed up in various parts of Kabul, some are stranded in faraway places like Jalalabad and Herat. While some managed to reach the Kabul airport, they were turned away by the U.S. forces that have been controlling air traffic.
With the Taliban shutting down the telecom services, people have been relying on weak WiFi signals to contact each other and their dear ones back home through WhatsApp. Many feared that their food supplies might not last long with none able to venture outside their homes.
While the Indian citizens awaited information from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for repatriation, some have raised doubts over the prospects of Afghan men who have married Indian women being permitted to travel to India.
State seeks Centre’s intervention
The Kerala government has written to the MEA for immediate steps to evacuate 41 Keralites, including women and children, who have contacted Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs (NoRKA) Department. The government also raised concern over reports of the Taliban verifying the identity of the stranded Indians and confiscating the passports and other documents of many.
