- The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has overshadowed the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan since the dreaded Taliban regime took control soon after the United States moved out of its forces. The extremely fundamentalist, medieval, and patriarchal mindset of the Islamists in Afghanistan has made life miserable for citizens, especially women and children. The war-battered citizens looking for some semblance of respite from the suffocating atmosphere might be feeling distressed with the turn of events over the last several months. Whatever was promised by the Taliban leaders vis-à-vis ensuring level playing fields for both genders before the interlocutors handling peace talks stands totally ignored now.
PC: Jen Kirby
- Reports emerging from the landlocked region dreadfully highlight how the misogynistic Taliban regime has gone about enforcing extreme fundamentalist measures on the hapless citizenry. It makes for a miserable reading when girls and women are disallowed from leading a normal life in line with the present times. Depriving quality education, due respect, gender equality, and equal opportunities to females speaks volumes about the despicable thought processes browsing through these fundamentalists. The moot point to ponder over here is what is being envisaged by the international community to extend a helping hand to mitigate the sufferings of Afghan people from everyday existential challenges. Unfortunately, the answer is not encouraging.
- The recent four-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure had brought to Delhi officials from all member countries, including those from Pakistan and China, with a substantial focus on Afghanistan. With global attention on the Ukraine war, sanctions, and their economic impact, Afghanistan, abandoned by the US to the Taliban, has slipped into hell over the last three months. Reports suggest that there’s now a virtual collapse of administrative structures and the local economy. Healthcare facilities are scarce and more than 20 million Afghans, half the country’s population, are facing acute hunger. Girls are barred from getting secondary education, women can no longer get a driving license either.
PC: RUPANWITA BHATTACHARJEE and PRIYAMVADA GROVER
- As such, women are not welcome in the job market as well. Indeed, these terrible humanitarian and social tragedies have not seen any concerted global effort to help, in part because most governments are reluctant to deal with the Taliban. Surprisingly, terrorism and violence haven’t abated either. Note that Iran and Pakistan have seen hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees still pouring in. Indian investments in Afghanistan over the last two decades are well documented. Thus, India must work closely with Iran to maintain a strategic foothold in the region. Yes, India must also help itself by continuing to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, even if dealing with the Taliban is not a welcoming prospect. Also, expediting emergency visas for Afghan nationals would be handy. Forgetting Afghan friends during dire times is not a prudent foreign policy.
