Afghan nationals in Calcutta stand by ‘national flag’: The women and men have been living in the city for years

The women and men have been living in the city for years but never felt the urge to come together this way

Afghan nationals and others with roots in Afghanistan celebrate the country’s independence day in Calcutta on Thursday.: Picture by Gautam Bose

Subhajoy Roy   |   TT   Calcutta   |   20.08.21 : A group of Afghan nationals and others who were born in India but have their roots in Afghanistan celebrated the country’s independence day in the city on Thursday.

The women and men have been living in Calcutta for years but never felt the urge to come together this way. This year they decided to assemble as a mark of protest against the Taliban’s sweep across the country.

Yasmin Jigar Khan, a leader of the group that had assembled at a Park Circus address, said they were angry at the way the Taliban flag was put up in public spaces in Afghanistan.

“Our allegiance is to the national flag. We respect only one flag, which is the national flag of Afghanistan. The Taliban has insulted the national flag and hence we have assembled here with the flag to celebrate the independence day,” said Yasmin, who was born in India. Her parents had come over to India from Afghanistan in 1949. 

Yasmin’s father was a close associate of Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, lovingly called Frontier Gandhi.

She said Abdul Gaffar Khan described her father as his grandson.

“The Taliban tried to remove the Afghan national flag and replace it with their flag. This is an insult to the nation and its people,” said Yasmin, who is also the president of the All India Pakhtun e Hind, an association of Pakhtuns living in India.

There were some in the assembly who were born in Afghanistan but moved to India in the past few years. A 61-year-old man who had left Afghanistan in 1996, the year the Taliban wrested power for the first time, said even the early days of Taliban curbed many freedoms.

A 32-year-old man who had arrived in India five years back remembered how people would earlier pour into the streets on August 19 to celebrate their independence day, without fear of repercussions. 

“People carried the national flag, some painted the colours of the national flag on their faces. There was no fear in coming out on the streets and celebrating. All of that has changed now. People are now concerned about their safety and security and they do not have the time or luxury to celebrate independence day,” said the young man, who is into trading.

Reports on Thursday said there were clashes between the Taliban and ordinary Afghan citizens who tried to remove the Taliban’s white flag and install the national flag in their place.

Kingshuk Chatterjee, a professor of history at Calcutta University, said August 19 is observed as Afghanistan’s National Day to commemorate the signing of the Anglo-Afghan treaty in August 1919. By this treaty, the British withdrew from Afghanistan.

“August 19 is observed as the Afghan National Day. It is observed to commemorate the treaty that led to the complete withdrawal of the British from Afghanistan. Since 1878, Afghanistan was a British protectorate but after the treaty of 1919, the British terminated the arrangement,” said Chatterjee.

August 19 had been acknowledged as the National Day by the subsequent monarchs, those who helmed the Republic of Afghanistan, or those who were leaders of the socialist Afghanistan. The West-backed governments between 2001 and 2021 also observed the day. But he was not sure whether the Taliban rule of 1996-2001 had acknowledged this day as the National Day.