HAPPIER DAYS AT THE SAFI LANDMARK
With an abrupt message from my friend Darren who lives in the city centre of Kabul, I had another tryst with the much discussed way of living in Afghanistan. Darren lives hardly a kilometer away from the Safi Landmark complex in Kabul which came under multiple suicide attacks this morning. I write this post as my fellow colleagues are focused on getting as much information possible from within the close knit Indian community in Kabul. Busy on their mobiles phones and hooked on to television sets, everyone knows the reason behind the attack on the Indian run hotel this morning. Surprisingly, India had warned Pakistan from sponsoring terror against Indians just yesterday. Do the math yourself.
Darren’s message at 8 am was not to inform about the blast or his safety. It was to check on me, since all dead in the attacks this morning happened to be Indians.
As our country goes on and starts a fresh round of ‘composite dialogue’ with Pakistan, the only question that my mind raises in anger is ‘WHAT THE FUCK’. We have had 60 years of dialogue with a bunch of morons representing the government of a country that has no democracy and no one exactly knows who’s running it! What is the guarantee that the Pakistani Prime Minister will not be assassinated or asked to leave the country next month?
They don’t have an economy, survive on bread crumbs thrown in by the US as an incentive to keep a tab on Taliban, their people kill their own people every second day in bomb blasts across multiple cities and the future of the citizens bleak with visa restrictions and masses treading the radical Islamic path. Gradually the country is digressing into decadence and a doomed future. With such a situation we understand that Pakistan is jealous of India’s rising position in world politics and the constant growth in economy and quality of life.
Yes, India has its problems too but unlike Pakistan, our biggest export to the world is not Terrorism and radical Islam.
The Safi Landmark hotel in Kabul was a sign of progress and prosperity, the chic cafes and the swish boutiques were a pleasant recluse for the people of Kabul who had been longing to have their share of globalization and little luxuries of life. However, how could the Pakistan backed Taliban tolerate this little indulgence the Kabul citizens subscribed to. How dare they enjoy an evening when Peshawar and Lahore get bombed? Pakistan is fucked, and they shall ensure everyone else is too!
The focus of attack this morning was an Indian restaurant that was visited by Indians and other expats, the motive and the message clear, Pakistan does not want cordial India-Afghanistan relations.
For those of you new to the subject, here is a one liner that might give you a heads up: Taliban is NOT an Afghan organization as presumed, it is a Peshawar backed organization funded by the ISI – The military wing of Pakistan’s defense forces.
The Afghans and Indians share much more than cinema, lasting friendship and cordial relations. It’s a common thread that binds the two countries and makes Indians like me feel at home and enjoy the warmth of Afghan Hospitality – It’s the hate towards Pakistan.
The attack this morning just made the Indian- Afghan bond stronger. The infidel Darren from UK has been invited by Infidel Prateek for a few beers and life goes on in Kabul. Jai Hind!
