The situation in Afghanistan has caught the attention of the world. While many have taken to social media to criticize the takeover by the Taliban but there is only a handful that has even offered to help the people in that country.
In a first of its kind humanitarian gesture, a Maharashtra NGO has sought permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'adopt' around 1,000 stranded Afghan students who are in dire straits after the Taliban takeover of their motherland, here on Friday.
In a letter to the PM, NGO Sarhad's President Sanjay Nahar, Working President Surendra Wadhwa and Chief Organiser Santsingh Mokha narrated the plight of the young students in Pune, Mumbai, other parts of the country.
"Since the Afghan issue has become explosive and internationally 'politically sensitive', we cannot undertake the task without the Indian government's permission and selection of the needy Afghan students," Nahar told a leading news agency.
Earlier in the week, a delegation of students from Afghanistan approached Tourism and Protocol Minister Aaditya Thackeray. The students met him on Tuesday and even sought his help in regards to the visa extension. Post the meeting, Thackeray assured them of all possible help. He also shared that they are all safe in Maharashtra. In regards to the visa extension, he said he will follow up the same with the union government.
NGO Sarhad has collaborated with the 'Shri Guru Teghbahadurji 400th Prakash Purab-2021 Committee' and is in talks with Jain, Buddhist and Muslim groups to help in the cause. They are also seeking the support of the government representatives to help them identify the needy youngsters.
"We have decided to launch the initiative with 50 needy students in Pune right away, the rest we shall take up after the Centre's signal and participation of other religious and educational groups," Nahar assured.
Through the initiatives, Sarhad and other groups-educational institutions will provide the full lodging, boarding, financial help with fees and other requirements of these students till the situation in Afghanistan normalizes.
Afghan Students Association of Pune (ASAP) President Wali R. Rahmani and ASAP girls' coordinator Farzana Amiri termed the Sarhad move "as extremely positive and would boost the morale of the Afghani students stuck here with limited resources".
Amiri claims that there are 600 girls studying in Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), a majority on self-finance and a few sponsored by the Indian government, are badly hit and require urgent assistance since all banking activities are closed in Afghanistan.
According to the data shared by Rahmani, 11,000 Afghan students, including around 35 per cent women, study in colleges and universities across India, with the largest chunk of around 5,000 in Maharashtra. They include around 3,000 in Pune, 700 in Mumbai and the rest scattered in other cities, though the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) data shows less than 2,500 students here on government scholarships.
Share
Tweet
