Now All Hopes Are Gone: Afghan Students Studying In Pune 

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Pune, 17th August 2021: ” Now that the power in Afghanistan is in the hands of the Taliban, they will do whatever they want. Women will not be allowed to go out, freedom will end. Afghanistan has been pushed back by a hundred years. Now the future of the next generation is in the dark. Taliban rule is hell, now all hope is gone,” said Afghan students studying in Pune.

The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated sharply over the past two months since the US withdrew its troops. The Taliban stormed the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday, 16th August.  Against this backdrop, the media representatives interacted with some of the native Afghan students studying at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).   Although the students are feeling safe because they are in Pune, they are worried about whether their family members are safe in Afghanistan.

Aziza Sarwari, from Herat province near the Iranian border, is pursuing a master’s degree in management. She said,” A few years ago when the Taliban demolished our schools, we rebuilt them. Now that the Taliban have taken over the entire country, Women will not be allowed to go out, they will not be allowed to learn, to do jobs. Citizens are hiding wherever they can find a place. The Taliban have also destroyed communication systems. For the past week, I’ve been trying to get in touch with my cousins.”

She also said that President Ashraf Ghani played with our future. They handed over our country to the Taliban. Frightened civilians want to leave the country by doing anything, everyone is trying to flee. When contacted by a friend in Kabul, she said, “The situation in the country is bad. You are lucky to be in India.”

Murtaza Atai is studying for a master’s degree in management at University. He belongs to LashkarGah, Helmad province in Afghanistan. In the last few years, peace has been building in Afghanistan, as democracy has been established. Despite some shortcomings of the government citizens had freedom. But in the last few days, the situation has deteriorated at an unexpected place.  The Taliban will now end civil liberties.  While the Taliban are telling civilians not to panic, it is hard to believe that they have changed. It is not possible to live according to their rules. For women, the hell time has begun. Now, if the United Nations and NATO intervene, there is some hope, he said.

Another student Farzana Amiri, pursuing international trade at University said, “My generation grew up watching the war. For the last twenty years, the basic needs were catered though we have to struggle for it.   But within a month, the Taliban put an end to it all. Now it is difficult for the country to stand up again. The most difficult time for women has begun.”

Speaking about the current scenario  Head of SPPU’s Department of Defence and Strategic Sciences, Dr. Vijay Khare said,” With the indirect cooperation of China and Pakistan, the Taliban overthrew the government in Afghanistan. So now the global international system, including India, will have to face new terrorism. India has an investment of about Rs 23,000 crore in Afghanistan. This includes areas such as infrastructure and education. India will have to move forward in coordination with the new powers.”