Sarhad, a Maharashtra-based NGO, has sought permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “adopt” nearly 1,000 distressed Afghan students studying in Pune, Mumbai and other parts of the country, following the take-over of their motherland by the Taliban.
In a letter written to the Prime Minister on Friday, Sarhad’s President Sanjay Nahar, Working President Surendra Wadhwa and Chief Organiser Santsingh Mokha narrated the plight of the young students in Pune, Mumbai and other parts of the State and rest of India.
The Pune-based NGO, which has been providing assistance to Afghani students in undertaking higher education since 2008, said: “The current situation in Afghanistan worries us and hence we have decided to extend our helping hand to the students stranded in India and also the refugees”
In their letter, Sarhad office bearers said that their organisation would seek the help of ‘Sri Guru Tegbahadur ji 400th Prakash Purab-2021’ committee established to celebrate Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom who had sacrificed his life for the rehabilitation and safety of Kashmiri pandits.
“Sarhad has the capacity to adopt one thousand Afghani students and refugees to take care of their education and livelihood till the situation improves back home. We seek Central Government’s assistance in selection of such students and refugees who can be provided with necessary help,”the NGO stated in its letter to Modi.
“Since the Afghan issue has become explosive and internationally politically sensitive, without Government’s permission and assistance in selection the humanitarian work we want to undertake cannot materialise,” Sarhad stated.
“In fact, the Indian NGO’s help to the distressed Afghani students and refugees can set an example of India’s broader humanitarian perspective. Also this work will be a suiting tribute to Sri Guru Tegbahadur ji’s martyrdom to preserve humanity,” Sarhad said in its letter to the Prime Minister.
The Sarhad office bearers urged the Narendra Modi government that it be allowed to undertake the task of adoption of the Afghan students and refugees and appoint a representative for the selection process. “We assure you that we will endeavour to preserve the pride and dignity of our nation,” the NGO added.
Meanwhile, a delegation met Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) Vice-Chancellor Dr. N R Karmalkar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr. N S Umrani and a Management Council Member Rajesh Pandey to discuss the issues of the Afghan students studying in the varsity.
On their part, the SSPU VC and PVC readily agreed to help all the past and present students, ensuring that nobody forfeited an academic year. They said that the University would launch a special helpline on Sunday and extend all other cooperationPandey said that he would raise the issue with the Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishanker
Afghan Students Association of Pune (ASAP) President Wali R. Rahmani and ASAP girls’ coordinator Farzana Amiri said that Sarhad’s initiative was “extremely positive” and it would boost the morale of the Afghani students stuck here with limited resources.
“Our priority is for those students whose visas have expired or on verge of expiry, bringing back those who had gone to Afghanistan, and arranging finances since they have to pay for their food, rentals and other things,” Rahmani said.
Amiri said around 600 girls studying in SPPU, a majority in self-finance and a few sponsored by the Indian government, are badly hit and required urgent assistance since all banking activities are closed in Afghanistan.
According to Rahmani, nearly 11,000 Afghan students, including around 35 percent women, are studying in colleges and universities across India, with the largest chunk of around 5,000 in Maharashtra.
These students include around 3,000 in Pune, 700 in Mumbai and the rest scattered in other cities. This is notwithstanding the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) data that shows that there are less than 2,500 students in Pune on government scholarships.