“If I am sent back to my country now, I will be jailed or killed by the Taliban,” reads a plea from Ali*, an Afghan student living in New Delhi. His petition on Change.org comes after the Taliban takeover of his home country and thousands of students, like him across India, face uncertainty about their future. Even as Ali completed his Masters in Computer Applications from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, the prospect of returning to a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan from India will put his life in peril.
Even as Ali worries about the safety of his family in Afghanistan, he says if he returns in the current circumstances, after the expiry of his visa, his life will be in danger. “My mother has begged me not to return as the Taliban is circling our neighbourhood. This is a matter of life and death. That is the cold, harsh reality of Afghans like me who are studying in Indian universities on student visas. Sign my petition so that we stay safe in India,” he requests through his petition, which seeks to extend student visas and scholarship stipends of all Afghans studying in India.
Ali lost his hand when he was 12 years old in a bomb blast that ripped through (the Afghan city) Mazhar-e-Sharif, he says in the petition. He came to India on a scholarship and was due to return in the last week of August. But the turn of events now has put the Afghan students in a great dilemma. “We, the students, are desperate to stay back in India. I’ve started this online petition asking the External Affairs Ministry of India to extend our student visas and ICCR scholarship stipends. If I am sent back to my country now, I will be jailed or killed by the Taliban,” Ali stressed.
Like Ali, Mohammad Asad* living in Bengaluru, too, has been reaching out to the MEA to extend his visa, which is due to expire in September. “If I return, not just my life but that of my family too will be in danger. At least if I am not in their sight, the Taliban might not harm them. If I return, my family will be made to choose between my life and their own,” Asad told TNM.
Under the hashtag #SupportAfghanStudents, the Afghan nationals are seeking the support of Indians to push for the MEA to extend their visa. If you wish to sign the petition, click here.
(*Names changed in request)