Afghanistan apocalypse turns Afghans into pitiable ‘Rahmat Pathan’

New Delhi | Ramakant Chaudhary: In the last two decades a generation of Afghanistan’s population attended their adulthood and were living peacefully weaving their dreams. They enjoyed all their democratic freedom pursuing their ambitions in a wide range of choices from the entertainment sector to the educational field. They wanted to see peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. But their life turned full circle as destiny scripted another way: the sordid saga of returning from Islamic Republic to Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on August 15 mere four days before the Independence Day of the country.

The Taliban, fighting for 20 years to retake the Afghan capital Kabul, took over the city in a matter of hours after sweeping through much of countries in recent days following a withdrawal of US troops. The Afghanistan President fled the country throwing the Afghani people in disastrous limbo. The gun-toting Taliban fighters stormed into the presidential palace which is known as Arg, a Pashto word meaning citadel. With their dusty boots and sandals, the unkempt bearded insurgents were treading gingerly on the fine carpets of the presidential palace, the pride of Afghanistan which witnessed 20-year spells of its glorious days that led the country from destruction to construction. They huddled with Ak-47 on the desk of Ashraf Ghani, the departed president.

Gunshots, screaming and crying for help are echoing in Kabul. Helicopters are hovering to evacuate foreign nationals. People are thronging to banks to withdraw all their savings. Security checkpoints being manned by burly bearded Taliban could be seen at all the nooks and crannies. The roads are full of people in panic. On the streets chaos is growing day after day. Taliban fighters are racing each other in their SUVs, waving their flag and guns--- enough to give goosebumps to fearful innocent people.

Fear, desperation and panic-stricken situations that Afghani people reeling through are madly rushing towards the airport. They are compelled to leave their home where they basked in the hearth of emotional bonding of their surroundings. Switching from the pride of being called Afghan Pathan to Afghan refugee is excruciatingly painful and beyond imagination. Their situation reminds of the pains of “Rahmat Pathan”--- a character of famous film Kabuliwala, who had to leave his country Afghanistan to sell dry fruits to earn livelihood.

The famous song “Ei Mere Pyare Watan, Ei Mere Bichhare Chaman Tujhe Dil Kurban” of 1960-made Bollywood movie Kabuliwala describes the pathetic situation of Afghani people who love their country but Taliban triggered circumstances have compelled them to be “Rahmat Pathan”.

Very disturbing visuals of the airport where they scrambled to sit over the rooftop, wings and wheels of aircraft which was crammed with massive gatherings. A nerve-racking scene appeared when persons sitting on the plane’s wheels fell into death after the takeoff that bulldozed the face of humanity. Such a horrendous and dreadful feels people could have in the name of Taliban! And the world is watching the brutality and barbaric behavior of Taliban.

No one wants to leave his country. Everyone loves to stay at his native place enjoying his culture, language, relations and ethnicity. People love to honour their birthplace and ancestral homes. It is painful to cut emotional moorings to shift to another place. The everyday impact on Afghans will be incalculably bad particularly women, girls and children. In a desperate bid to safeguard their children, women were seen throwing their kids across the barbed wall of Kabul airport. This shocking scene is black spot on human civilization.

Who is responsible for all this fiasco? Of course the incompetent handling of withdrawal of US troops by the Joe Biden administration is squarely responsible for the apocalypse of Afghanistan. The withdrawal debacle and Taliban takeover of Afghanistan will have a long lasting impact having serious political ramifications on the democratic establishment of the world. History will not be kind for such Biden’s blunder. The world knows that he is one of US four presidents, two Republicans and two Democrats, who made multiple military mistakes in dealing with Afghanistan.

Former president George W Bush shifted focus from Afghanistan to another fiasco of engaging in war with Iraq. Ex-president Barack Obama oversaw a troop surge in Afghanistan, but theatrically de-escalated the US presence. Former President Donald Trump inked a deal with the Taliban that called for an even earlier withdrawal deadline.

Political parties do not go for military fights rather a nation has to do it. In that sense, Afghan failure is the black spot on the head of America which has already had global criticism for its military misadventures and huge failure in Vietnam and Iraq.

The Afghan war has cost an estimated $2 trillion and spanned four US presidential administrations. As many as 2,448 US military personnel and around 47,245 Afghan civilians have died since the US-led invasion began in Afghanistan. However America has lost the war in Afghanistan, it could not surrender the fight to extricate pitiable Afghans. The US must provide shelter to Afghan refugees and spearhead global efforts to minimize Taliban atrocities. No way should the Biden administration have an Ostrich approach while dealing with the Afghan crisis. Otherwise America will never wipe out the stain of leaving its allies in the lurch of anchorless boats in choppy water.

(Ramakant Chaudhary is a political-social commentator and journalist who has worked with The Times of India, Hindustan Times (Mint), Dainik Jagran Group, The Pioneer and The Political and Business Daily. The views expressed are personal.)