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Over 13,000 Afghan college students are presently enrolled in Indian universities, in keeping with knowledge offered by the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. And about 2,000 of them had returned to Afghanistan earlier than the Taliban seized energy within the war-devastated nation in August 2021.
The rationale for his or her return was the closure of Indian universities as a part of measures to comprise the COVID-19 pandemic. Lectures and seminars had been largely held on-line to scale back the unfold of an infection.
“Now the colleges are open once more and we’ve to be current at lessons. However I can not get a visa,” complains Issa Saadat from Kabul, who has been pursuing a course in public administration and economics in India.
After the Taliban took energy, India shut down its diplomatic services in Afghanistan, whereas suspending air journey and financial institution funds.
Issa has been attempting to use for a visa to journey to India for 5 months. “First, I utilized on-line in Kabul. But it surely did not work out. Then I traveled to Iran to use for a visa on the Indian Embassy in Tehran. However they informed me that solely sick Afghans who wish to journey to India for medical remedy can get a visa.”
No detour by way of Iran or Pakistan
Issa is just not the one one who needed to journey to India by way of Iran. Shakil Razi is pursuing his doctorate in India and has traveled to each Iran and Pakistan to use for a visa from there — to no avail.
“I’ve invested so much in my research and now I’ve to defend my doctoral thesis. However every little thing appears to be happening the drain. I can not even switch my tuition charges,” he stated in despair.
For a lot of younger Afghans, it seems as if India has turned its again on them at a time of disaster.
For twenty years previous to the Taliban’s return to energy, India had established itself as an necessary instructional vacation spot for younger Afghans.
India had been the biggest regional donor to Afghanistan because the US ousted the primary Taliban regime in 2001, with New Delhi investing round $3 billion (€2.7 billion) within the nation’s reconstruction. It was additionally seen as an try by New Delhi to curb the affect of its arch-rival Pakistan in Afghanistan.
India not solely constructed roads, colleges, dams and hospitals, but in addition performed an necessary function within the space of schooling and vocational coaching.
Between 2005 and 2011, 500 scholarships had been awarded to Afghans yearly, and between 2011 and 2021, the determine was as excessive as 1,000 a 12 months.
Nevertheless, many younger Afghans additionally financed their research in India by themselves.
In accordance with the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, greater than 60,000 Afghans have accomplished their research in India up to now 16 years.
Seek for an answer
Abdulhaq Azad, spokesman for the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, which continues to be being headed by a member of the deposed authorities of Ashraf Ghani, informed DW: “We’re involved with the Indian authorities and Indian universities to discover a resolution.”
India has but to acknowledge the Taliban authorities in Kabul.
Mulavi Ahmad Taghi, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Schooling, informed DW that the Taliban are to not blame for the scholars’ troublesome state of affairs. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan didn’t trigger the issue. Different international locations are accountable,” he careworn.
Nonetheless, the Afghan Overseas Ministry stated it was looking for a fast resolution.
This text was initially written in Dari.
Edited by: Leah Carter
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