Col. Manoj Pal
New Delhi, December 29, 2022: Remember the song “Afghan Jalebi” featuring Katrina Kaif in movie Phantom released in 2015 wherein music and dance moves of background belly dancers filled the eyes and years of audience. We start tapping our feed in rhythm on hearing this song and imagination in wilderness. But do we imagine the conditions of the women in Afghanistan since Taliban’s takeover on 15-16 August 2021. On August 17, 2021; the Taliban vow to respect women’s rights “within Islamic law” and form an “inclusive Islamic” government. Taliban also announced general “amnesty and urge people to return to work.
A Couple of days back, Taliban has banned women from universities and working. The condition of Afghan women and girls have deteriorated fast since the Islamist rule in Afghanistan. On this situation United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the Taliban to reverse their decision of banning women employees of NGOs from the workplace. Blinken emphasised that millions of Afghans are dependent on humanitarian aids through these NGOs from across the globe.
Blinken has tweeted “I join allies and partners in calling on the Taliban to reverse their dangerous order barring female employees of national and international NGOs from the workplace. Millions of Afghans depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival. NGOs must reach the most vulnerable”. In this Islamic country, who is more vulnerable than the women and girls!!
On December 27, the biggest NGO of the world United Nations; the Security Council in a press statement said that the members of the Council are “profoundly concerned” by reports of the ban by Taliban. This ban will have immediate and significant impact on humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. UNSC has reiterated that such restrictions are in contradiction of promises made by Taliban Government and expectation of Afghan people in the name of general amnesty specially for women. It seems the UN is defunct when comes to deal with international issues and miserably failed in providing solution in real terms except providing humanitarian aids.
In an interview with Rudroneel Ghosh of TOI, Lailuma Nasiri, co-founder of Afghanistan Justice Organization, Kabul said “The situation in Afghanistan for women, from every point of view that you can think of, whether it is social life, the economic and security situation or preserving women’s rights, is at its worst level in the past decade”. She further stated that women are facing difficulties and restrictions everywhere. They are banned from going to universities, working in local and international NGOs; and Government offices. She raised the concern, if women can’t work; they can’t earn, resultantly their economic condition will further deteriorate. The women and girls in Afghanistan are living in distress and suffering. Their anguish and pain are deafening but the propagators of human rights at the world forum are turning their eyes away only by making statement which has no effect on the Taliban. Their miseries are unheard and worsening with every passing day.
When it comes to fighting for the rights of women, we have seen ghastly treatment met to such activists by the Taliban. Women and pro-women advocacy for their rights can not be undertaken from the land of Taliban. People are leaving the country to neighbouring countries where they can find refuge and shelter; and carry on with advocacy of women’s right.
But back home, the so-called women’s rights activists from political parties, business houses, corporate world, Bollywood artists etc; who on petty issues comes in front to push their personal agenda in the name of women’s rights; have not made any statement or protest or procession to draw the attention of Indian Government which on various occasions have sent humanitarian aids in the form of medicines, food, grains etc. India always have supported Afghanistan and have invested in infrastructure before the Taliban’s takeover and still have interests because of adversary like Pakistan. The Indian Government and other countries which are providing substantive aids to Taliban led Afghanistan to bargain for the women’s rights so they also live respectfully in the age of equality.
