Amritsar: Forced to abandon jobs, they are now selling dry fruits here

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 5

Exhibitors from Afghanistan participating in the Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX), being held in Amritsar, expressed gratitude towards the Centre for giving them a temporary shelter.

However, they said they were striving for better prospects of earning livelihood after the situation got worse with Taliban taking the reins of their native place.

We were a well-settled family of eight. My father was a manager and mother a teacher. After Taliban started penetrating into the Afghan area, we migrated to Noida temporarily after my parents quit their jobs and sold the assets. Here also, we are not eligible to attain citizenship. We deal in dry fruits with the help of our connections. Mustafa 20-year-old who is now dealing in Afghani dry fruits

They are selling the best quality Afghani ‘kagzi badam’, cashews and walnut, and organically grown saffron and dates at the exhibition.

Born and brought up in Kabul, 20-year-old Mustafa, now dealing in Afghani dry fruits, does not want to recall how his parents, both government employees, had to abandon their jobs, property and shift to New Delhi for a safe life, a year ago.

“We were a well-settled family of eight. My father was a government manager and mother a teacher. After Taliban started penetrating into the Afghan area, we migrated to Noida temporarily after my parents quit their jobs and sold the assets. Here also, we are not eligible to attain citizenship. We deal in dry fruits with the help of our connections. We wish to take refuge in the UK, the US, Canada or European countries,” he said.

Hailing from Mazar-i-Sharif, 23-year-old Farhad said the governance in Afghanistan had collapsed with the Taliban taking control.

“In Afghanistan, the law and order was already deteriorated. You have no freedom to live life as per your will. We had no choice but to move out. Our family migrated to Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, from where, we tried our hand in dry fruit wholesale business. My friends and relatives back home told me about the condition there. Girls cannot go out to study or do jobs. The banks have no cash,” he said.

His brother Hameed (29) keeps his hopes high. “East or West, the homeland is the best. I wish the situation normalises, and we can reunite with our families in Afghanistan,” he said.