'Hindustani ast': The mantra to get out of any trouble while in Kabul

KABUL: The 20 Indians working in the Kabul office of IO Global, a networking and consultancy firm, have a problem neighbour. Located next door to the Pakistani embassy, the office bears the brunt of the current dip in Afghan-Pak relations.

“These days there are protests over the suicide bombers who allegedly come in from across the border. All the threats the embassy gets naturally have an impact on us. In addition, we have to put up with their extra security measures, ” laughs Murli Reddy, Hyderabad resident and manager with the firm. 

Reddy came to Kabul three years ago, when the communications infrastructure of the country had been reduced to rubble. “The Taliban had left nothing standing, not a single tower or building”, he recalls. The current situation of a competitive, buoyant industry was rebuilt from scratch, with Indians being a significant and constant presence.

“There are at least 60 per cent Indians running the IT field all over Afghanistan today,” says Neel Pandit, Delhi based engineer with IO Global.

Most of the business for large players comes from international aid agencies and government departments. Even freelance consultants like Sanjiv Agarwal net lucrative contracts from the US Army and other defence agencies. “Here, it is possible to make profits equal to a CEO’s salary in India, though of course not everyone can manage it.” On the downside, the demands are correspondingly higher. “My end users are foreigners. If they lost the Internet for even a minute, they get upset,” says Sanjiv. Neel remembers getting threatening phone calls from competitors. “The pressure can be huge, perhaps on my own I could not have handled it. Being with my group made it easier”, he says.

His “group” lives together in company accommodation, enjoying the perks of a bachelor life with the comfort of home food prepared by Pakistani cooks. “At home I am a strict vegetarian, “ grins Neel. “Here I have non-veg every day”.

The freedom and camaraderie makes up somewhat for the absence of family and severely missed cinema halls. “In Kabul, we do what we feel like, its like being back in hostel” says Vikas Bansal, youngest of the group. The high spirits have led to occasional trouble. “It is a community problem,” insists Reddy. “If we guys have a few drinks, make some noise, people object,” he says, with righteous indignation.  “If we want to take a walk on the roof, first a guy calls out to the women to go inside their homes, only then can we can go up,” he adds.“This is why we wont settle our families here.” Sanjiv, however, got his wife and infant son over soon after he relocated. “It’s been almost a year and she has not had a problem till now.”

Despite the grouses, Reddy admits that at seven thousand dollars a month, Kabul is a good place to be.  “We spend fifty dollars a month, mostly on eating out and shopping for movies”, says Sandeep Yadav, technical staffer with IO Global. The company pays for everything else, including phone calls home.

“The quality of life is better than the Gulf or the US where you do your own chores and face discrimination,” feels Neel. “Here everything is done for you, and you get lots of izzat.” Being an Indian helps. “If a cop stops you at night, just say “Hindustani ast”(I’m an Indian). He’ll offer you tea, ask whether you know Sunil Shetty, and send you off. Pakistanis get their whole cars checked,” says Sandeep. 

The steady flow of foreign aid and investments into Afghanistan and the volume of the potential market have made the communications industry hum with energy. The sector is bracing itself for a leap, and Indians are providing significant quantities of the muscle.

“Afghans don’t have their fundamentals correct. Because of years of war, they lack the education and training to do these jobs’, feels Sandeep. Indians offer not only skills but also dedication, says Reddy. “Once we commit to something, we will not leave if we find a better opportunity. It is just like a good Indian marriage.”