Afghans in Hyderabad hold on to hope

Amidst the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, several scared female students in the city are not ready to give up on their nation as yet.

Hyderabad: “Never in my worst nightmares did I ever think that the Taliban would enter Kabul,” shares Najiba, an Afghan student, pursuing a Master’s degree at Osmania University. “Everything is falling apart, and I have only my dreams to hold on to. I came here to study so that I could go back home and teach the next generation. I hope things won’t turn worse,” she says.

Amidst the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, several scared female students in the city are not ready to give up on their nation as yet. “Hope is all we have got now,” shares Sumaya, another Master’s student. “The last time Taliban came to rule, for me, the loss was very personal, as my father, an Afghan soldier, was killed. Some of my relatives were also killed in the Mazar-i Sharif massacre. I feel depressed and miss my family a lot. I hope someday when things are better, I will go back to my home, ” she said.

These students had blooming careers in Afghanistan before they came here for higher studies. Now, with the change in atmosphere, they aren’t sure if they will be allowed to work anymore. Tamanna, a postgraduate student, who worked at the Afghan Ministry of Education, shares: “When I called my friends, they said they had not gone to work since the day the Taliban took over. They are scared, and so am I. I haven’t been able to concentrate on my studies. I hope that some international intervention can save my people from this crisis.”

While none of them have lived under the Taliban rule, they have grown up listening to stories of horror. “Those stories are slowly coming to life now,” says another city-based student, Freshta. “My father worked for the Afghan government. On Tuesday evening, a few Talibanis came home and took him away. Although he was brought back, I can’t put the fear I felt in words,” she says.