With one flight with Indian diplomats leaving Kabul, more Indians are still awaiting evacuation amid uncertainty
A special military flight carrying Indian diplomats took off from the Kabul airport on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
With flights out of Afghanistan getting rescheduled, Indians stranded there have demanded that the government make special arrangements, just like the military aircraft that took off from the Kabul airport on Tuesday, so that they can be back home soon. Amid all the uncertainty since the Taliban took over and difficulties in communicating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indians continue to wait to be evacuated.
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Almost every few minutes I see a flight taking off from Kabul airport to different countries, but there is no relief for Indians stuck here. One special flight carrying diplomats took off on Tuesday. Why aren’t similar arrangements being made for Indians stuck here? We are worried about the changing conditions,” shared Dr Mohd Asif Shah, assistant professor of Economics at the Bakhtar University in Kabul. He is a native of Srinagar.
‘Not allowed to move out’
“We are as clueless about the exact condition as others who don’t live here. I have not stepped out of my room inside the campus for over four days now. There are four Indian professors here and the university is not allowing us to venture out due to safety reasons. Some friends are living with their families here. I know of 50 Indians who are currently stuck here,” said Dr Shah, who had booked a ticket for Monday to India.
He further said, “I had booked the ticket long ago as holidays were to start. Suddenly the situation changed and my ticket had to be rescheduled for Wednesday. I hope my friends and I get to board the flight safely. It will be great if the Indian government communicates with us on the developments, as it’s not easy to go out and check the situation at the airport.”
Local residents outside the Hindan Air Force Station as Indians arrive from Afghanistan, in Ghaziabad, on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
“Our flights are getting rescheduled, but special arrangements were made for diplomats and others. Why isn’t the same being done for regular Indians staying here for work?” he questioned.
Prakash Mulay, who hails from Pune, has been staying in Kabul for over 15 years now for business-related work. “My operations manager is a local, who will handle the business now as my return depends entirely on how the situation unfolds,” said Mulay, recalling an incident at his residential area when Taliban representatives visited to check on households.
“My neighbour, who is local, spoke to them in their language and answered their questions. I was shocked when the representatives asked him to reach out to them if there were any problems. It appears that their approach has changed. On the contrary, a staff member from my office shared a completely different story. He said the Taliban representatives who visited their residential area were not at all gentle. All of it is really confusing,” Mulay said.
Mulay has been trying to contact the helpline number provided by the Ministry of External Affairs for over two hours but with no luck. As his ticket is booked for Wednesday, he wants to know whether the flight would take off, as he would have to make arrangements for his safe travel.
Students seek support
Afghan students in India are seeking support for extending their visas so that they can complete their respective courses. Some students from Pune even met minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday and shared their concerns.
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