Indian citizens attempting to flee the Taliban’s occupation of Afghanistan face a slew of obstacles, including the inability to contact any embassy official and a closed airport, as well as difficulties obtaining Covid test reports, which the Indian government requires for taking a flight, despite the ministry of external affairs stating on Monday that the Centre will “ensure the safety…”
A 32-year-old man from Kolkata, West Bengal, who has been working in Kabul for the past two years with a local non-government organisation, spent Monday morning trying in vain to reach the Hamid Karzai International airport only to discover that it was closed to commercial flights.
After the government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul on Sunday.
The Afghan airspace has been released to the military, according to a NOTAM (notice to airmen) issued by the Kabul airport authorities on Monday, and any aircraft transiting through it “will be uncontrolled.” The civilian side of the Kabul airport has been shut down until further notice, according to another NOTAM.
“I managed to reach Kabul airport but there were 8,000 or 9000 people trying to get a flight, none of them had tickets. They were out of control and the airport was guarded by Taliban and they couldn’t control the crowds and so they opened fire. I was running to save my life and later on I came to know that commercial flights are banned and only military flights are allowed,” said this person, who didn’t want to be identified for fear of persecution.
India announced on Monday that it will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and interests in Afghanistan, as well as to facilitate the repatriation of Sikhs and Hindus who wish to leave the war-torn country.
“The security situation in Kabul has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. It is changing rapidly even as we speak. The Government of India has been closely monitoring all developments in Afghanistan,” said external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
“We had circulated emergency contact numbers and had also been extending assistance to community members. We are aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return and we are in touch with them,” Bagchi added.
“I was supposed to take the last flight out yesterday but couldn’t get a Covid negative report as mandated by the Indian authorities for taking a flight to India. So I booked today’s (Monday’s) flight,’’ he said.
“From news reports, we got to know that C-17 flights have been sent by India for evacuation mission but we cannot enter the airport so the embassy needs to respond to our calls and messages… Our lives are in danger,” he said.
For evacuation missions, India had kept C 17 Globemasters on standby. On Sunday, one was dispatched to Afghanistan, and on Monday, another took off from the Hindon air force station on Delhi’s outskirts.
