‘We can never go back’: Taliban surge spreads fear in Delhi’s ‘Little Kabul’

For many refugees who fled to India decades ago, the Taliban’s ascent in Afghanistan has dashed hopes of them ever being able to return home

They call it little Kabul and it’s not hard to see why. In this lively corner of south Delhi, the streets of Lajpat Nagar are lined with Afghan pharmacies, supermarkets, travel agents and beauty parlours, with Dari Persian signage almost as common as Hindi. Delhi’s residents will trek across the city just for the Afghan restaurants, and for a taste of the thick, steaming ovals of naan bread baked in the numerous Afghan bakeries in the neighbourhood.

But in recent days, a sombre mood has taken over this usually bustling enclave, where thousands of Afghans have settled, some as early as 1979. As Kabul fell to the Taliban last Sunday, many of those who had sought safety in India as refugees feared it sounded the death knell for them ever being able to return home.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3Bfinal