Pune: Eight km stands between life and die in Kabul for Resident Kothrud Parag Rabade on Sunday morning.
He was among the 151 people who returned to India on Tuesday by special Indian Air Force flights.
Rabade has worked as a professor in technical vocational education and training in Kabul since 2015.
He arrived at Pune on Wednesday morning.
Given his experience in Kabul on Sunday morning, Rabade said he was tense and worried even though he had submitted his passport to the Afghan authorities to end the country a few days ago.
He said he lived only eight km from the Afghan office in Kabul, but traveling in the situation to get his passport again put his life in danger.
“A colleague from my workplace, Yusuf Frotan, agreed to take me to the government office in his car.
All the main roads in Kabul are chaotic.
So, we have to take a few detours to reach the office where to my surprise, a member of the staff waiting with a passport Stamped.
It is the most terrible car trip.
We need almost eight hours to cover distance, “Rabade said.
During the trip, he passed Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
“The situation there is really chaotic.
People climb the airport compound wall.
Taliban shoot in the air.
I will never forget the scene in my life,” he added.
He arrived at the Indian Embassy in Kabul safely by car on Monday morning.
“We crossed the checkpoint manned by the Taliban without having trouble,” he added.
The embassy provides accurate information about the situation and gives all the help until they reach Jamnagar in Gujarat on Tuesday, he said.
Rabade, a chemical engineer with a PhD, said the situation in Afghanistan changed dramatically in one week.
“We are under the impression that the situation will be peaceful for three months.
I was not in a hurry with my plan to return faster,” he added.
He was worried about the fate of his students and friends in Afghanistan.
“Their future cannot be predicted.
They don’t know what will happen to their education.
I have started several activities in Kabul in the past two years.
I hope to finish it,” Rabade added.
He has worked in Ghana and Uganda.
Even though he wants to return to Kabul, his decision will depend on how the political situation breaks down.
The wife of the Pirade factory, who did not want to be named after, said they were worried about her safety.
“We thank the Indian government to arrange special flights and bring back all our citizens safely home,” he added.
Pune: Professor Kothrud remembers the longest trip of 8 km in Kabul
