On flight to Kabul, homecoming tales a 12 months after the takeover

THE A343 Kam Air flight that departed New Delhi Thursday afternoon carried a motley group of passengers, however not sufficient to fill even half the 300-seater.

Among the 90 or so travellers: Afghan college students returning residence; a physician on go away from her hospital in New Delhi to go to her ailing mom and hoping to return to India after a month; a person who had managed to get a medical visa and was returning residence after his remedy; a clutch of support employees, principally Indian, working on the UN and different humanitarian organisations based mostly in Kabul.

Also, an Indian skilled who had departed from Kabul on the Indian Air Force airplane on August 17 final 12 months and was returning to “assess” the state of affairs. Plus an MEA delegation that was met on the tarmac by some officers of the Taliban regime.

Kam Air, an Afghan airline firm, restarted Kabul-Delhi flights as soon as every week from mid-June.

Scheduled to take off at 1 pm, the flight left two and half hours late as a result of a large quantity of cargo needed to be loaded. It was being despatched by the federal government. Weary of questions concerning the delay, airways floor employees hazarded the guess it might be a consignment of humanitarian support for Afghanistan — meals and medicines.

Kam Air, an Afghan airline firm, restarted Kabul-Delhi flights as soon as every week from mid-June. Thursday’s flight was its eighth spherical journey. Ariana, the principle Afghan airline, may additionally resume flights to India.

A 12 months after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the airplane to Kabul supplied a small glimpse into New Delhi’s tentative efforts to construct a relationship with the Taliban, with out recognising the regime. The official line, as laid out by National Security Adviser Ajit Okay Doval on the fourth Regional Security Dialogue in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in May is that India has a particular relationship with Afghanistan and its individuals, and this could proceed to information its Afghanistan coverage, but additionally that the Taliban should kind an inclusive authorities that gives illustration to all its peoples. That it respects ladies’s rights and permits ladies to return to highschool and removes restrictions on ladies together with on their employment. India has additionally repeatedly mentioned that Afghanistan mustn’t grow to be a secure haven for cadres of terrorist teams to plot assaults on different international locations.

Following greater than a dozen international locations, India lately reopened its embassy in Kabul in June with a small group of officers headed by an IFS officer who’s officiating as deputy chief of mission.

Weary of questions concerning the delay, airways floor employees hazarded the guess it might be a consignment of humanitarian support for Afghanistan — meals and medicines.

The tarmac reception to the official delegation created a buzz within the bus ferrying the opposite passengers to the terminal.

The Indian skilled, who didn’t need his identification revealed, mentioned he would “assess” the state of affairs and take a name on whether or not he may return to work in Kabul. Last 12 months, he, his spouse and their youngster have been among the many lots of who caught the primary IAF airplane despatched by India to evacuate its nationals.

He recalled these last hours in Kabul only a 12 months in the past and the nerve-racking bus trip to the airport from the Indian embassy. Both he and his Afghan colleague, who dropped him off on the Indian mission, have been in tears, he recalled.
His spouse had pleaded with him to not make this journey, he mentioned. But he had advised her that he would, no less than, acquire his authentic paperwork and certificates that he had left in safekeeping in reliable arms.

An Afghan physician, who obtained her post-graduate qualification in gyanaecology and obstetrics and is now employed in a New Delhi hospital, mentioned she had taken go away from her work as her mom had suffered a stroke and her members of the family had insisted that, as a physician, it was her responsibility to return again and take care of her mom.

She hoped she would get a visa to return after a month to her residence in south Delhi that she and one other Afghan lady have rented collectively. She had combined emotions about going again. Her brothers had advised her Afghanistan was now totally secure. But she was apprehensive, and nervous concerning the lack of freedom for girls, and the restrictions that she must observe.

“But Afghanistan is my home, that is where I must finally live,” she mentioned, attempting to brush off her apprehensions.
An Afghan couple dwelling in Australia transited by way of Delhi to catch the flight, as did one other expat Afghan household. They hoped to return again to Australia inside a few weeks.

An Afghan businessman, who got here again to Kabul from his long-time residence within the US lately, had determined to go to India to fulfill mates and was returning after a satisfying week. He travelled on a long-term visa that he had obtained some years in the past within the US. It had been cancelled throughout Covid however had been restored lately, he mentioned.

One man was returning to Kabul after medical remedy in New Delhi. Asked if Afghans have been now getting visas to journey to India for medical causes, he mentioned: “Some have got the visas, I was one of the lucky ones”. Since final 12 months, India has issued about 200 emergency visas in response to on-line purposes.