Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/blink/article7184199.ece
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saturday, may 9, 2015
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The city that never
says die
Death, disfigurement and destruction are part and parcel of life in post-9/11 Kabul,
but that doesn’t stop its people from hoping for a better tomorrow
Stop me if you can Crippling injuries from frequent air raids and terror attacks are common, but that doesn’t deter this man from traversing the city
I
was introduced to Kabul, and Afghanistan, through one of Rabindranath Tagore’s most poignant short stories,
Kabuliwala — about the unusual friendship between Mini, a small girl, and Abdur
Rehman Khan, a dry-fruits seller-cum-moneylender, staged against the backdrop of Calcutta in the early 20th century. Like Mini, I stood
on the balcony of my Calcutta house and
watched these men in salwar kameez — tall,
athletic and fair-skinned — go about their
day’s work.
I would ask my mother and elder sister who
they were and where they came from. In reply
I was told that they should neither be discussed nor looked at. The Kabuliwala was rumoured to be the ruthless moneylender,
capable of violence and murder. They were also portrayed as the chheledhora, the kidnapper
of little boys. Such stories were meant to intimidate, but my curiosity refused to die.
One day, a cousin seemed depressed that a
certain Abdul was leaving the city to return to
his homeland. A Kabuliwala with a stylish Enfield, Abdul was headed home after his family
was ambushed during a fight between two
clans. He never returned. There were rumours
that he had joined the Talibs, while some said
he had fled to Russia.
The 9/11 attacks brought Kabul back to my
life again. I watched in horror as America unleashed its ‘war on terror’. I searched for Abdul’s face in the images that flooded the
newspapers and TV channels. Finally, I decided
to visit the city whose proud and sturdy men
always fascinated me. The Kabul I saw was trying to keep its spirits alive in the face of death
and destruction. And that’s so much like its
people I had seen in my own city — always hoping for a better tomorrow.
shome basu is a Delhi-based photojournalist
On ground zero Your safety is in your own hands
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saturday, may 9, 2015
e clean A man without a beard is a
sight in Talibanised Afganistan
In search of greener pastures A long queue of Afghan men and children — and just one woman — at Kabul’s passport office
Meaty role Masum, a popular restaurant, keeps Kabul residents happy with its assortment of kebabs
Cover girl The hijab protects women from disfigurement at the hands of Taliban
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