Afghanis in India keenly watch Afghanistan presidential polls

NEW DELHI - A group of young Afghanis was hooked to a television set in an Afghan eatery in Delhi’s Darya Ganj area Friday afternoon, keenly watching the post-election developments in their homeland and praising India for helping Afghanistan in its reconstruction.

Enjoying ‘authentic Afghani cuisine’, they kept their fingers crossed, hoping peace will return to their war-torn country even as a wave of Taliban attacks across the country frightened away voters Thursday. The voter turnout was as low as 10 percent in some regions.

At least 26 people were killed on the polling day as President Hamid Karzai claimed victory Friday though the final results of the presidential poll and the elctions to the provincial assemblies held simultaneously will be out only next week.

Despite the violence, Nur Pirzada, who runs the old Delhi restaurant, said the “historic” election passed off with “unexpected smoothness and order despite attacks by the radical Islamist Taliban”.

“Given the magnitude of threat, the low turnout is still unbelievable,” he said.

“The security in Afghanistan is getting worse day by day. Every Afghan is hoping this election will bring in stability, and a powerful government takes the charge to defeat the Taliban and the militant groups,” said the tall and well built Afghani who has been in Delhi for the last two months.

“Insha Allah, the permanent peace will return. Let’s hope this election is a step forward to development and reconstruction of our country even as we believe it is a long process to rebuild the nation,” Pirzada said.

Lauding Indian assistance to the country that has suffered continuous and brutal civil war since the late 1970s, Pirzada said Afghanistan has a “great friend” in India.

India is involved in $750 million worth of reconstruction programmes in Afghanistan and one of single biggest aid is for building the 107-metre high Salma Dam on the Hira Rud river in northwest Afghanistan’s Herat province at a cost of about $116 million.

“India helped Afghanistan and Afghans in every time. The Indian government has the main role in construction and rehabilitation of our ravaged country. They have done lots for us even helped us in conducting the historically significant democratic exercise,” he said.

Mohammed Afroz, who was part of the group, said, “Indian and Afghani friendship is 500 years old. I hope the relationship grows stronger and stronger.”

Irshad Ahmed, who is a Delhi University student and has been here for the last six months, says the peace in “our country has been elusive but India has given us a hope”.

“Thanks to India for giving us a second home,” he said, adding “the magnitude of destruction in our country is too large to be reconstructed so soon”.

“It will take time for the permanent peace to return (to Afghanistan),” he said. Karzai, who is seeking re-election, needs to be “strong to deal with Taliban and yet win hearts of the common people”, said Irshad.

Sipping the signature green Afghani tea after the sumptuous non-veg Afghan delicacies, the young Afghanis were also disappointed that nothing was being done for the remote areas in the south and western provinces of Afghanistan, where violence is still raging.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about 8,850 Afghan refugees are living in Delhi.