Thousands of fearsome Afghans have fled the country desperately since the Taliban took office.
Those who came to India remembered horrible stories of terror in the Taliban-ruled country.
“My house was burned down”
Speaking to ANI news agency after landing at Hindon air base in Ghaziabad on an IAF flight, the evacuees said the situation is serious in Afghanistan.
“The situation was deteriorating in Afghanistan, so I came here with my daughter and grandchildren. Our Indian brothers and sisters came to our rescue. They (Taliban) burned down my house. Women are not. safe in Afghanistan. I thank India for helping us, “he added.
He said there is immense fear among the people in Afghanistan. “We’ve witnessed casual shootings over crowds.”
Recounting similar scenes, a Sikh evacuee said sounds of gunfire and gunfire could be heard everywhere in Kabul and surrounding areas.
“The situation is serious in Afghanistan … I am very grateful to India for moving forward to help us. We took refuge in the Gurdwara before boarding the plane,” the evacuee told ANI.
People trapped in the crisis-stricken Afghanistan arrive on a special IAF repatriation flight to Hindan Air Force Station in Ghaziabad. (PTI)
“All the successes of the last 20 years lost”
An Afghan lawmaker of Sikh descent was thrilled as he spoke to reporters after landing in India, saying all the successes of the past 20 years in Afghanistan have been lost.
“All the achievements of the last 20 years in Afghanistan have been lost. There is nothing left. Now it is zero,” said Afghan lawmaker Narender Singh Khalsa shortly after his arrival.
The Sikh legislator thanked the Indian government for rescuing him, his family and several other members of his community after the Taliban’s capture of Kabul and most of Afghanistan.
“India is our second home. Even if we are Afghans and live in this country, people often call us Hindustani,” the legislator told the air base near Delhi.
#WATCH | Afghan MP Narender Singh Khalsa breaks down when he arrives in India from Kabul. “I feel like crying … … https://t.co/TNfZ6ToOZj
– ANI (@ANI) 1629609173000
Asked about the current situation in Afghanistan and how he felt about the latest events in the country, Khalsa, with tears in his eyes, said that all the gains of the last 20 years have been undone.
“I want to cry. It’s all over. It’s a very difficult and painful decision to leave the country. We haven’t seen a situation like that. Everything has been snatched away. It’s all over,” he said.
Recalling the harrowing experience of the last seven days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, Khalsa said the situation was “very bad” and appealed to the Indian government to rescue the remaining Hindus and Sikhs stranded in the country devastated by the war.
“The situation is very bad. We have had to face many difficulties. Thank God for saving our lives as we have had to face distressing times in the last few days. My expectation from the Indian government is that take all those who are still trapped. back, “he said.
“The Taliban used to ask us to stay in Afghanistan saying that your security is our responsibility. As there are so many Taliban groups, we don’t know who to talk to and who to believe in. That’s why we decided to leave as is. serious, “he added.
Evacuations continue
India returned on Sunday 392, including two Afghan lawmakers, on three different flights as part of its efforts to evacuate its citizens from Kabul.
A total of 168 people, including 107 Indians and 23 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were flown from Kabul to Hindon Air Base near Delhi on an IAF C-17 military transport aircraft.
Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals were returned on a special Air India flight from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated to the Tajik capital on an IAF plane, officials said.
Separately, 135 Indians, who were previously evacuated from Kabul to Doha in recent days by U.S. and NATO planes, returned from the Qatari capital to Delhi on a special flight, they said.
India conducted evacuation missions in coordination with the US and several other friendly countries.
Two days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, India evacuated 200 people, including the Indian envoy and other members of its embassy in Kabul on two IAF C-17 heavy transport aircraft.
The first evacuation flight recovered more than 40 people, most of them from the Indian embassy, last Monday.
The second C-17 plane evacuated about 150 people to Kabul on Tuesday, including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some trapped Indians.
(With ANI, PTI tickets)