As an Afghan youth, I am eye witness of civil war of Afghanistan. I have some memories of fatal wars of Afghanistan during last three decades.
In my opinion war in Afghanistan is defined as follow:
- When countries cannot get along, they sometimes get into a war.
- Helping children understand and cope with military deployment.
- Opening armed conflict between countries or groups within a country.
Afghanistan is one of those countries, which also strongly affected by war hundreds years ago being attacked by its neighbors due to its strategic location. Or sometimes Afghanistan used to attack on others too for instance: Attacking to India several times during Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi and Ahmad Shah Abdali empires.
Afghanistan war had started from Mongol empire in almost 13th century. Then the terms of war continued and involved of Mughol Empire, Durrani Empire, first British involvement with Afghanistan, second British vs. Afghanistan war in 1881, Panjdeh clash, and coming up to Amanullah Khan civil wars and it was continued to finally Ex- Soviet Union (USSR) attack to Afghanistan. Then civil war, and finally ISAF/NATO war continued up to present.
During all above mentioned terms of war in Afghanistan, millions people were killed, injured, disabled, disappeared and separated from their family constituents from both sides of war zones. And poor Afghanistan was witness to be attacked by several Empires and kept defending up to present.
Once I was 10 years old student of 2nd grade in school. I was eye witness that the Russian strikers threw rockets and heavy bombs on our house early in the morning; the house was completely destroyed, our family including me escaped from the warzone. My aunt was carrying a big radio covered by Radio (made in Japan) when she was running; suddenly my family were stopped by one of the Russian Soldier, the soldier asked my aunt to give him the radio but my aunt refused and she was shoot by that soldier and died.
My family escaped from Baharak district of Badakhshan Province in to another district of Badakhshan called “Arganjkha” a very deep canyon with high rocks was chosen by my father to build a temporary house and it was just because we have had informed that Russian fighters Jet are not able to throw bomb in a deep canyon. My family made another temporary house using mountains stones.
Since I had lost my school chance, so I tried to practice my lessons with the help of my father to not forget the school lessons daily. On the one hand I was so sad to not to attend my class every day; but on the other hand I was happy to at least being far away from strikers and tanks’ horrible explosion sounds. After almost three months, the Russian fighter Jets destroyed our house by throwing heavy bombs again. Finally my father decided to go to Pakistan as refugees and I continued my education there.
There is a proverb saying that “war is expensive”. That is why USSR was divided in to parts. It is worth to mention that was has its own bad effects in the war zones for both attackers and defenders. and brings occasions such as mental problem, distrust, large dept, weak economy, children abuse, drug demands and trafficking and finally from the economic lens, the war make a country to lose all its infrastructures such as education, development centers, domestic products, policing and less exports and more imports with no regard to standardization and honoring good relationships between other developed or under development countries.
Afghanistan is one of those countries who deeply suffered by several wars from both civil and abroad, which the above mentioned occasions of war are now sensible. Still Afghanistan is not able to stand with its own feet in order to supply all its primary needs goods to its people such as wheat, rice, cooking oil, fuel, medicines etc.
Fortunately during last decade of half war and half improvement of Afghanistan. Now we feel that such signs of war are going to be decreased day by day. Since 2002, I am eye witness and can feel Afghanistan developments in many sectors such as Agriculture, Tele Communications, Education, private sectors, business, GDP growth, Afghanistan monetary value, Drug demand reduction programs, sports and many other sectors. Such developments are just because of the half peace and half war in Afghanistan. In order to reduce completely the war and its causes, now we have to understand the meaning of peace and start to eradicate the roots of war from Afghanistan by establishing Educational centers for boys and girls all over the Country and bring the meaning of prosperity and development instead.
Written by: Sadaqatullah Sadiq, Feb, 6, 2013, Kabul, Afghanistan
