'There is no food left & acute water crisis'

KOLKATA: In a heart-wrenching video message, a group of 140 people—mostly natives of Bengal, who had managed to rake shelter in a hideout after Taliban took control of key cities in Afghanistan—was found pleading for help. They urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrange for a flight and rescue them. They circulated the video message through social media.

"There is no food and acute crisis of drinking water. We urge you (Prime Minister) with folded hands, rescue us from this plight otherwise we will die of starvation," they stated in the video message.

They were among the several other people from Bengal, who had gone to Afghanistan for employment and were now stranded there, with their families spending sleepless nights back home.

A number of people from Ranaghat, Bagula, Taherpur and Karimpur in Nadia district, who have taken shelter at the TPG camp in Kabul, are living in distress.

"The situation is so violent that my son (Krishna), who has gone to work as a chef in Kabul a few years back, is unable to come out of the camp. Some of his friends had also gone with him. Their stock of dry food and water is exhausting fast," said the mother of Krishna Das of Taherpur.

The wife and four-year-old son of Ashok Ghosh of Taherpur have been traumatised after learning about the violence and bloodshed unleashed by Taliban in Afghanistan.

A number of provinces across Afghanistan witnessed protests with Afghans taking to the streets holding the country's national flag, which is no longer in use since the Taliban took control of Kabul city.

Some people, who have managed to come to the airport at Kabul, narrated their ordeal during the journey. "People across the world, who are settled or working in Kabul, are desperate to return back to their native country.

A large section of people from Kabul is also trying to leave the country and shift to their near and dear ones settled elsewhere.

The traffic is so huge that it is taking 10 to 12 hours to cover a stretch of 20 minutes. But, at least we have managed to reach the airport," a resident of Ranaghat presently in Kabul airport communicated to his family in a video message.

The family members of Jayanta Biswas, Bidyut Biswas, Palash Sarkar and Prabir Sarkar of Gopalnagar in North 24-Parganas are also eagerly hoping for the government to make arrangements for their return. They had all been working in hotels in Afghanistan.