WHEN the New Delhi-bound Kam Airlines flight finally took off from Kabul airport hours before the Taliban entered the city on August 15, Subrata, an Indian working in a senior position with an international NGO (INGO) posted in Afghanistan, sent up a silent prayer of thanks.
Subrata had been able to board the flight after travelling two hours in his car to travel the 12 km distance between his lodging and the Hamid Karzai International Airport as the road was clogged with vehicles even early in the morning.
To top it all, his flight was stopped from taking off for over an hour almost at the edge of the runway, as US Air Force planes were landing to evacuate their citizens, sparking fears of imminent Taliban entry into the city.
Hours earlier, Subrata, who prefers to go by his first name, spent a tense and sleepless night planning his disguise to make it to the airport without any trouble.
"I contemplated travelling to the airport dressed as an Afghan - sporting the customary long beard and turban or as a deaf and mute person. I was afraid that I might be held by the Taliban at the check posts they might have put up on the road," he told PTI over the phone from Delhi.
Subrata even tried out his disguises before discarding each of them and deciding to travel in his normal clothes.
There were Indians, Europeans and Africans besides people from Afghanistan in the plane who were leaving the strife-torn country. Afghan stewards of the plane, however, were sceptical about their return. "I heard a steward whispering in Pashto: 'God knows how and when we will return to Kabul'" said Subrata.
On the night before he took the flight, Subrata realised that guns alone cannot ensure security and information is the strongest defence.
"I had no information that night whether the Taliban had already entered the city. Nobody goes out in the night for fear of being attacked and killed. And there were looters.
"I left my lodging at dawn to travel the 12 km distance to the airport and reached it at around 6.15 am. The flight was scheduled to depart at 10.45am," Subrata, who had been posted in Afghanistan since 2015, said. He had advanced his flight ticket to Delhi, where his family stays, after the security officer of his organisation told him that the Taliban were expected to enter Kabul soon and he should "just leave".
Subrata had been hesitating as he, like many of his counterparts in other INGOs, was sure that Kabul will not fall before Muharram on August 20. It turned out later that his was the second last commercial flight to leave Afghanistan for India.
"The situation in Kabul had become tense since August 13 as the Taliban had captured Herat, Kandahar, Kunduz and other provinces one by one by then. I think even the Taliban themselves did not expect that these provinces would fall so fast," said Subrata, who has been posted in that country since 2015.
A Taliban fighter looks on as he stands guard at the city of Ghazni in Afghanistan. (Reuters Photo)
With the memory of Taliban torture during its rule two decades ago still fresh in their mind, the people of Afghanistan had been living in fear since the US peace deal with the group in Doha in February 2020.
The pact had drawn up plans for withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in exchange for security guarantees from the terrorist outfit. Subrata said that many Afghan people - both men and women - had requested him to help them find refuge in Delhi.
"I did not want to return home before August 18 as I had reached Kabul only a week back and had a lot of work left. But the scenario was changing fast. I was told that banks had downed shutters saying they had no money left," he said.
Rumours that fresh passports were not being issued anymore fanned the fear more among the people.
Subrata could not contact the Indian embassy and to add to his fears, he was told that there were blasts at Pul-e-charkhi jail in Kabul, which is the largest prison in Afghanistan, allegedly to liberate jailed members of the Taliban.
"I saw the narrow streets of Kabul chock-a-block with cars of internally displaced people who had come with their families to the city from neighbouring areas thinking it would not fall. The parks were occupied by these hapless people who had nowhere else to go," he said.
They had been coming for the past one month but the situation had turned chaotic on August 14 as the roads were completely blocked, he said. Subrata also recounted his conversation with a kiosk owner at the airport from whom he used to buy biscuits and cakes during his frequent travels. "The man looked very sad. He told me: 'Please remember that Afghanistan is a beautiful country but has no luck as far as lasting peace is concerned.'"
There was an air of desperation, a feeling of helplessness, arising out of the fear of an uncertain future.
"People are tired of the constant insecurity and want to leave the country. Their agony is increased manifold by the frequent attacks of armed looters who find them easy prey and do not hesitate to kill if faced with resistance," he said.
The losses due to the unprecedented drought and the havoc wreaked by Covid-19 appear to have taken a back seat in the mind of the people of Afghanistan, Subrata added.
"Most of them wish to relocate to either the US or India as they perceive these countries as peaceful and stable," he said.
Asked whether he would like to return to Afghanistan, Subrata said he would, as there is a lot of work left to be done.
Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami highlighted inclusiveness and sustainability.
Leicester hosted scaled-back celebrations without fireworks after a safety review.
Cities across England marked the festival with community events.
THE ROYAL Family and UK prime minister Keir Starmer shared Diwali greetings on Monday, as the High Commission of India in London highlighted inclusiveness and sustainability as key messages of the Festival of Lights.
“Wishing a very happy Diwali to everyone celebrating the Festival of Lights in the UK and around the world,” reads a message from Buckingham Palace, shared across all its social media platforms.
Starmer also took to social media to wish “Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across Britain a joyful and peaceful Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas”. The prime minister, who attended the Gaza peace summit in Egypt during the Diwali festivities at 10 Downing Street last week, reflected on his visit to Mumbai earlier this month in his post.
“Earlier this month, I lit a diya in Mumbai as a symbol of devotion, joy, and renewed bonds. As we celebrate this Festival of Lights, let’s keep building a Britain where everyone can look ahead with hope,” he said.
Opposition Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch described the festival as a “celebration of light over darkness, hope over despair, and the power of family, community and faith”.
“Wishing a very Happy Diwali to all those celebrating the festival of lights in the UK, India, and around the world. May this Diwali bring blessings, peace, and prosperity to everyone,” said Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary.
Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, in a video message, called Deepavali one of the central elements of India’s festive calendar.
“It is celebrated across all communities as an opportunity to bring together families and friends and celebrate the joys of the changing season, and the start of the cool season,” said Doraiswami.
“It is one of our most beloved festivals, not least because of the lights and traditional diyas that are lit up, but also for the opportunity to spend time with friends and family. Diwali these days is seen as an opportunity for an inclusive festival, a sustainable festival,” he said.
“Sustainability not just purely in the environmental sense with the use of renewables in our lights and displays, but also in terms of ensuring that you make it sustainable by bringing together all communities amongst whom you live,” he added.
“That is particularly applicable here in the United Kingdom as we celebrate the start of what is a longer festive season that continues right through to the end of the year,” he said.
Many of the annual Diwali festivities in the UK, including the Mayor of London’s Diwali on the Square, took place earlier this month.
In Leicester, known for its large-scale Diwali celebrations, this year’s event was scaled back with no fireworks display following a local council safety audit. The city’s Diwali Day celebrations were centred around a Wheel of Light — a 110-foot-high Ferris wheel on the Golden Mile at Belgrave Road — which was closed to traffic and lit up with thousands of colourful lights.
“We know that this year’s celebrations will feel different, but our priority must be the safety of the public,” said Councillor Vi Dempster, Leicester’s assistant city mayor for culture.
“We are absolutely determined that Diwali continues to be part of the city’s festive calendar. We will be working with partners and the local community to explore options for how the city builds on its proud tradition of bringing our communities together to celebrate the Festival of Light,” she said.
Meanwhile, Basingstoke and Reading in southern England hosted outdoor Diwali celebrations organised by Kala the Arts over the weekend, attracting hundreds of people.
The events featured theatrical processions with illuminated puppets, dhol music, classical dance performances, and lantern installations as part of the free-to-attend festival, now in its fifth year.
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