An Afghani connection in Goa’s academic scene

An Afghani connection in Goa’s academic scene
Preetu Nair | TNN


Think Afghanistan, think citizens muted by conservative diktats and hardened by years of war. That is till you meet Zohar Ahmad Zoland and his brood of Afghani classmates.
Sitting in a classroom at the Dhempe College of Arts & Science, Miramar, on a not-so-bright Tuesday afternoon, the second year student and his fellow countrymen animatedly discuss everything from the recent bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad to girls.
In 2005, there wasn’t a single Afghanistan-native who came to Goa on a student visa. Last year, 52 came on Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships. Some sought admissions on a self-finance basis.
Zoland is among those who bagged an ICCR scholarship.
“The problems in Afghanistan are blown out of proportion. The situation back home is as normal as the situation in India. Just like in India, in Afghanistan too in some places the scene is bad, especially, in those ar-eas that are adjacent to Pakistan,” he said.
Defending the education system in his country, he added that the quality of education is “not only good it is free”.
“Under the Taliban regime education was free for boys, under the present regime, education is free for both boys and girls,” said Zoland, insisting that he is in Goa only on account of the ICCR scholarship.
The students stay in groups of five or six in flats around the city. They also take private tuitions in English.
“Though English is taught as a subject from standard IV onwards in Afghanistan no one interacts in English and therefore we are not wellversed in the language. But now knowing English is the need of the hour,” said Nomyalai Farahi, a first year student with an eye on a degree in political science.
Farahi comes from a family of politicians in Afghanistan and is anxious to return to his country after bagging his college degree and “becoming a politician”.
His fellow classmates said they would like to return “to serve” their country after they earned their degrees.
“We support our government. They need us. We will return home,” said Jamsheed Samini, a first year student at Dhempe’s, hoping to bag a degree in economics.

2008 Jul 30 Times Of India Goa