Reshma Ravishanker

Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai has called upon Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit students from Afghanistan to continue education in India. 

Karzai, on February 5 met with students who are pursuing higher education and have been pursuing degree courses in India and have been admitted into various universities across the country. 

حامد کرزی رئيس جمهور پيشین #افغانستان با شماری از محصلين افغان که در جمهوری #هند تحصیل مینمایند دیدار کرد.
در این دیدار محصلین، که در مقاطع مختلف لیسانس، ماستری و دوکتورا مصروف تحصیل هستند، خواهان برگشت و ادامهٔ تحصیلات شان در جمهوری #هند شدند و بر حکومت آن کشور @PMOIndia صدا… pic.twitter.com/Tpl3VdWjsq

— Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) February 5, 2022

It may be recalled that the Taliban took control over Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 after the United States of America withdrew all its forces from their land. While several families attempted to flee the country, fleeing to other countries as refugees, some students studying in India also returned fearing their family’s safety after violence had erupted subsequently.

In a meeting chaired by Karzai, challenges faced by students pursuing masters and bachelor degrees and doctorates were discussed where students expressed their wish to return to India to pursue their degrees. Later, the former president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan tweeted seeking that prime minister Narendra Modi grant permission for these students to continue learning.

Through his official handle, the PMO, he asked, “Allow them to return to their lessons. The former president, while praising the students’ interest and efforts to continue their education, promised any cooperation they needed in solving their problems so that these students could return to the Republic of #India to complete their education.”

The same was voiced by other Afghanistan authorities. M Ashraf Haidari, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Sri Lanka and SACEP Director-General also sought help from India to allow students to continue their education. He said, “Afghan students enrolled in Indian universities remain stranded under Taliban misrule in Afghanistan. The Hon. PM @narendramodi  can help these friends of India resume their education in India, building on our time-tested ties against extremism.”

Responding to these requests, Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram agreed that India must stand with the students. “Agreed. I believe we would all support this strongly across party lines,” he tweeted.  

Also read: “Don’t return home”, families tell Afghan students in Karnataka