Insecurity dogs Afghans, foreign workers at every step

Kabul, Jan 2: "A trip to Southern Ghazni province? What an idea! Well, proceed, I will stay back waiting for you all," Omaidullah declared while backing out on the plea that he was the only son and could not afford to put his life at risk.

His parents and four sisters would cry themselves to death if anything happened to him, the affable Afghan youth said. His fears are not unfounded as security threat from Taliban and other elements opposed to the present regime are only too real to be ignored.

"Sir, do you want to be John Abraham of "Kabul Express" (Bollywood film shot in Afghan locales) who had gone in search of Taliban in the movie but faced a threat to his life. A number of journalists have risked their lives and American Daniel Pearl's execution in Pakistan is available on internet and CDs. So draw a lesson from such incidents," a local man warned this correspondent in the hotel lobby.

Car driver Nazim, cautioning against the risk of venturing into Taliban infested areas, fondly recalled the excitement during "Kabul Express" film's shooting days as a diversionary tactic from the omnipresent sense of fear.

These apprehensions stem from the fact that a resurgent Taliban, involved in bloody battle with NATO funded ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) may strike on the highway to take hostages for ransom and release of the jailed Talibs. Many other local people also aired similar sentiments.

Violence weary Afghans choose not to venture out in late hours as suicide bombs attacks occur both in the capital and outside frequently. More than 100 such attacks have rocked the country this year, claiming as many lives.

Blood curdling memories of Taliban days are fresh in their minds.

"Look at this ground, it was the place for public execution of those flouting the Taliban's dictates. Everyone's presence was mandatory to learn lessons from such trials, commented Mr Nazim, an eyewitness to many such trials and announcements on the public address system.

'Taliban', 'Gori Fauz' (white forces) and Hamid Karzai form an integral part of daily lexicon of the people fed up with the miseries inflicted on them for the past three decades of wars and internal conflicts. During a five minute chat, local people repeat these words dozens of time and keep their fingers crossed for lasting peace.

Some of them, fed up with the uncertain situation, start a conversation punctuated with these words, but end up spewing abuses at all those endangering innocents lives and robbing the region of peace.

Most of the discussions veer around escalating violence in the southern region including Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, Zabul, Nimroz Paktika and Ghazni. The overall situation in these areas is highly volatile and tense following encounters between the Taliban and ISAF troops coupled with President Hamid Karzai's limitations.

Frequent missile, mortar, bomb or suicide attacks have claimed a large number of civilian lives and ISAF too has lost many soldiers.

There remains a substantial threat from kidnapping too. Two Japanese tourists were abducted and subsequently found dead near Kandahar last year. Paktika is also affected and witnessed several such ghastly incidents.

Local people say the Taliban, on many occasions, ambushed army convoys and fired rockets and missiles indiscriminately on highways.

There has also been a series of attacks on the Kabul-Kandahar road in Zabul province.

Under such circumstances, the cost of the much talked about Zarang-Delaram road construction project by Indian engineers has shot up substantially.

According to sources, the completion of the 218 km-long road project in South-western Afghanistan will now cost many times higher than the Initial estimate of over Rs 370 crore.

Sources said Taliban activities have affected work being carried out by India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The project was initially scheduled to be completed by December 2007 but it has been indefinitely delayed now.

Nightmarish memories of the killing of Indian engineer K Suryanarayana and a driver, R Maniappan are still fresh in the minds of Indians residing or camping here for business or reconstruction activities. They plead for more security at engineering project sites in sensitive areas, mainly in the southern region.

Suryanarayana, 41, from Hyderabad was an employee of the Bahrain-based company. He was abducted from Zabul province, where he had been working on a telecom project.

An India club has been formed here and about 100 people have already enrolled themselves with the club to highlight their security concerns and needs before the Indian embassy officials.

As such, there is no threat for Indians in Kabul city but extra precautions have to be taken while moving out mainly in the Talib infested southern belts. A middle-aged man from Kerala, working in the hospitality sector, cautioned this correspondent not to venture out from the hotel after it becomes dark and closing of the markets.

Some Indians, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the Taliban continue to intimidate Indian workers into leaving Afghanistan. But hundreds of them are building roads, bridges, power projects, government offices and health centres.

A substantial number are in various road projects, executed by Indian companies. Many are working for private companies in semi-skilled capacities.

Rajesh, working with an international humanitarian organisation told UNI