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Over 300 Dehradun residents stranded in Afghanistan, Uttarakhand CM assures help
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said, “The state will do everything possible to get them back home.”
Amid the crisis in war-torn Afghanistan following its capture by the Taliban, over 300 Dehradun residents who had gone for employment are stranded in the country while pleading with the government to evacuate them, HT has learnt.
Among those stranded, the majority of them are ex-servicemen who used to work for private security agencies assisting the now collapsed elected government. They are stranded in major cities of the country including the capital Kabul, Kandhar and Herat. In Kabul alone, at least 300 people from Dehradun are stranded while waiting to get evacuated for India.
Providing a glimpse of the sensitive situation in Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban, a group of men from Dehradun who were working for Kabul had sent a video to their families and relatives back home in which they could be seen pleading the Central government to evacuate them as soon as possible.
One of them, shooting the video with his mobile phone, said, “We are 140 men stranded here in Kabul since last four days. We all are in a single room with nothing proper to eat. Nor have we slept for the last few days, but sitting in a cramped situation in one room.”
“We are appealing to the government to evacuate us as soon as possible from here to India. We will be highly grateful as the situation outside is very dangerous,” said the man in the video whose name couldn’t be revealed due to security reasons.
One of them, while speaking to HT over WhatsApp while describing the situation said, “After the regime change, our employer had abandoned us to our fate without helping us in leaving the country.”
“The situation outside is very dangerous and uncertain. The Taliban are roaming and patrolling the streets outside and we don’t know what to do. We have asked for help from the ministry of external affairs for evacuation who have assured us of help. But, we don’t know how will it happen and when will it happen. We just want to go home,” said the man, a resident of Clement Town area of Dehradun.
Another man from Dehradun who is stranded with at least 100 others in Kandhar shared similar fears
“We all are here in a big hall of our office compound with the Taliban patrolling the streets instead of police. However, they haven’t done anything yet and assured us that they will let us go without any harm, once the situation normalises. We are getting proper food which is not a problem. The only thing that is bothering us right now is when will we be able to leave,” said the man on the condition of anonymity.
He added that “About 90% of the men stranded in our group hail from Dehradun while the remaining are from Darjeeling.”
While the men are stranded in Afghanistan waiting to get evacuated, their family members in Dehradun are spending tense days worrying about their safety.
Ruchi Thakuri, the wife of a man stranded in Kabul, said, “Since the quick political developments on Sunday, I am very worried about my husband. I am just stuck to TV and mobile all the time to know when they would be evacuated.”
“I was able to speak to him yesterday night and he said that they all are safe but worried for their evacuation. We appeal to the government to help them get back to India as soon as possible,” she said.
Amid the reports of residents of the state stranded in Afghanistan, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said, “The state will do everything possible to get them back home.”
“We have apprised the officials of the ministry of external affairs and are in constant touch with them for the evacuation of all the people of Uttarakhand who are stranded in Afghanistan. We will bring them back soon while ensuring their safety. The Centre is working on it,” said Dhami.
