Afghanistan is truly of beautiful landscape and hospitable people. My desire to visit this beautiful country was there in me after I read Deshe Bideshe by the famous writer Syed Muztaba Ali. Again the Film Kabuliwalla in which the small Bengali girl Mini, who is meeting the Kabuliwalla after a long time on her wedding day makes the Kabuliwalla nostalgic and he thinks of his own daughter who must have grown up in his own country. Wonderful story by Rabindranath Tagore. As I write this Review, I begin humming the tune of the song Hey Mere Pyare Watan which Balraj Sahni sings in the Hindi Film Kabuliwalla . Manna Dey is the playback singer.
My dream to visit Afghanistan was fulfilled when in 1981 I got a two-month UNICEF Consultancy to visit Kabul and work in the area of Mass Media for Women and Children. I lived in the UN House in a posh locality of Kabul called Share Nao. A year ago, eight Afghan Officers of the Adult Education Department had visited the Bajiraut Chhatravas at Angul, under the auspices of the India Office of UNICEF. I met them there in 1981, and they were really happy to see me in their City.
I ate plenty of sweet seedless Grapes and juicy Golden Apple. The high quality Jeera which you get in Kabul is not available anywhere. Due to the peculiar pical situation in the country, no foreigner was allowed to go anywhere beyond Kabul.
The Russian Shops used to sell Russian Cameras like Zenith (SLR) and Zorky (Russian Leica) for INR 500 and INR 200 respectively. I bought one each. The British Shop was selling leather Jackets at a very high cost. German Fabrics were very cheap. A woolen Kabuli Jacket for US$ 5/ is still giving me good service. The Second Hand Market was selling imported second hand dresses at a bargain price.
My consultancy was over, but my interest in Afghanistan is as live as ever, and if given a chance I am prepared to go as a Consultant. And this time I must visit Kandahar. After all India has a long standing relationship with Afghanistan.