India has pulled out all its diplomatic staff, security personnel, and a few media workers from its embassy  in Kabul, and closed its mission there---for the second time since 1996-- just a day after the Taliban overtook the country, marking an end of a chapter of its relations with Afghanistan. 

A special aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed in Jamnagar Gujrat, carrying 140 Indians. 

Several western countries are closing their diplomatic missions after the collapse of the Afghan government as the security situation remains volatile in capital Kabul whose streets are manned by Taliban fighters. 

India had sent an aircraft on Monday also but it returned carrying only 40 Indians as the rest of its diplomatic staff could not manage to reach the airport as Taliban fighters refused them passage. Later, Rudrendra Tandon, the Indian ambassador in Kabul, coordinated efforts with the Taliban and other countries as well. 

Things moved quickly in Kabul, forcing almost all countries, including India, to rethink their contingency plans. Earlier, India was keen to maintain its diplomatic presence there but was planning to reduce the staff. 

The fast-evolving situation necessitated the closure of the embassy.

Also, the mission in Kabul was flooded by entry-visa requests from Afghans who feared reprisal from the hands of the Taliban and are willing to refuge in India. However, the US, which currently is controlling the airport in Kabul, had closed the airspace and operations for all civilian flights. 

The chaos that followed inside and near the airport made it very hard for countries to safely conduct their evacuation. Pulling out diplomatic staff, quickly and safely, became the priority for most countries. 

New Delhi has assured Afghans that they have not abandoned them, “We will try and continue our interaction with them, I can’t say in what form as the situation is changing,” Ambassador Tandon was quoted as saying by ANI soon after landing in Jamnagar. 

“Their welfare and our relationship with them is very much in our mind,” he said.  Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar  also has said they were coordinating with other countries to resume evacuation of Afghan people who wish to take refuge in other countries. 

(SAM)