Fear, trauma, distress among Afghan students in Goa

The last few days have been a torture for many Afghan students who are currently studying in Goa. Living in constant fear for the safety of their folks back home, these Afghani students talk to us about their lives.
‘I still live in the fear of losing my family like I lost my dad’
“I lost my father to the Taliban four years ago. I was just 16 then, now I’m in constant fear of losing my family. Since I’m the eldest, I could come to Goa to complete my studies. But my other siblings are still there in Afghanistan. I have two sisters and two brothers – all are studying. I’m looking for ways to bring my 17-year-old sister here to Goa so that she can complete her education and also be safe. I have asked my mother not to leave the house often as they might harm her. They expect us to follow Maharam (when a woman has to be escorted by a man, usually by her husband, brother or father). Since my father is no more and my brothers are still very young, I don’t want to expose them to the Taliban, who might forcibly take them to the madrasa, where they are taught to become radicalised. I thought my folks would be safe in Kabul, but they are not.”
— Roma, 2nd year, Govind Ramnath Kare College of Law, Margao
‘I’ve asked my family not to mention that I’m studying in India’
“Everything changed for us in Afghanistan in just one day. My sister has been the HOD in a women’s department where they are working towards women empowerment and right to education. I have told my family not to mention about me. The Taliban doesn’t approve of girls studying, leave alone studying abroad, and worse if we are studying in India. For two days, I couldn’t get in touch with my family. There was no electricity, no internet and I was worried and praying for their safety. For the last few days, they
have been hiding themselves from the Taliban and have not come out of their homes. If they need to buy anything from the market, they send my nephew or my mother has to wear a burqa and cover herself completely. Some of my distant relatives have moved to Kabul, my folks are stuck in Jalalabad. They have seen very bad times in the past when Taliban had captured Afghanistan and they don’t want to re-live that again.”
— Zarghoona, 1st year, MA Psychology, Carmel College of Arts, Science, & Commerce for women, Nuvem
‘My parents would tell me horrifying stories when the Taliban wanted to kidnap my brother and me’
“When the Taliban conquered our district, Khwaja Sabz Posh, in 2014, I was 14 years old. The Taliban had plans to kidnap my brother and me and assassinate my father as he would tell the young kids not to get involved with the outfit. My parents would tell us about the hunger, killings and no right to education, no right to speech and no women’s rights. We have grown up listening to these horrifying stories. We are seven kids and I have two sisters. My sisters and cousins wanted to be doctors, lawyers and teachers. Since schools are shut, they are studying at home. My family has burned all the documents which would give Taliban proof about what they do. Religion is wrongly used by Taliban to hurt people and they are interpreting it any way they want to.”
— Zahir, 2nd year, Govind Ramnath Kare College of Law, Margao
‘We are scared for our future’
“We have been in Goa on a student visa and after we finish graduating, we will have to go back to Afghanistan, and I’m not sure what our fate will be like. Will our certificates will be accepted? Will we be allowed to work ? This incident has taken us back to the Stone Age where women couldn’t do anything for themselves. Over the years, my mother would try to educate other women, teach them cooking and baking. Some of her students have started their own businesses. I’m constantly talking to my parents to find out how they are doing. They haven’t yet searched our homes, but if they know that my parents were raising their voice for education and women's rights, they might be in danger.”
— Narges, final year, BA Economics, Rosary College of Commerce and Arts, Navelim
‘My parents have shifted homes; they’ve carried only important documents with them’
“I was able to speak to my family today after almost five days. I’ve been constantly in touch with my friends – they have told me that the schools, colleges and universities have been shut. They are not letting anyone go out, especially women. For the last 20 years, women have done a lot to come out of the shackles of being indoors and it’s all gone to waste. My family is asking me to stay here and not to travel back to Herat Province. But since I’m on student visa I’m not sure if I will be able to stay any longer. My parents have shifted homes and they have only carried very important documents with them. They cannot travel much as there are no flights as well. Though I’m here in Goa, my mind is in Afghanistan.”
— Marjan, final year, BA Political Science, Carmel College of Arts, Science, & Commerce for women, Nuvem
(Only the first names have been used to protect the students’ identity)