It was early morning in Bati Kot district, 200km east of Kabul. A crowd had gathered in front of the governor’s office. Young men sat on the ground, a lone woman in a blue burqa begged for alms as she soothed a baby, and an elderly man nervously clung on to what appeared to be documents. They were all waiting for the governor—for money, material support, food, signature and seal on documents, and so on.
A convoy of military vehicles brought the governor. Suleiman Sha Khpalwak was young and elegantly dressed. He wore a white perahan tunban, the loose-fitting Afghani attire, with a black wascat (traditional vest) on top. Khpalwak belonged to a respected family in Bati Kot. His father used to work for the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s premier intelligence agency.
Khpalwak saw the people who had been waiting. He held the woman’s hands, and listened intently to the old man’s words. “Give the food aid to those who are eligible,” he told the office staff.
Surrounded by armed guards, he entered his office and asked for tea. He then turned towards us, and asked for patience. “There are too many people in need,” he said. “I can’t go with you without listening to them first.”
He returned half an hour later, and said it was still too early to take us to the checkpoints, where his men were keeping watch. The marauding Taliban was just a few kilometres away; the district could be their next stop.
And so, as we waited, Khpalwak began to tell the story of Bati Kot.
The infection
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin August 29, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin August 29, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.