Brain Drain is inevitable in Afghanistan as tens of thousands of people are still waiting to be evacuated by the US and its Allies. The majority of the educated and skilled Afghan nationals want to leave the country while on the other hand the US and its allies are taking the people along with them on priority whom they have trained over the two-decade periods or who have got education and training in the allied/NATO countries and came back to Afghanistan.
This is certainly for a reason i.e. to give tough time to the Taliban Government and ultimately will be disastrous for the socio-economic situation of the country. Over one hundred thousand skilled people are anticipated to leave the country. The numbers may increase but the majority don’t have direct connections with the US and its allies as not everyone has the same luxuries or the opportunities under twenty years of US occupation and rule under President Hamid Karzai or President Ashraf Ghani. These anticipated hundred thousand are assumed to have availed the special status or it would be right to say that they are counted ones.
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Will the Taliban fulfill its promises?
Although the Taliban has multiples times emphasized that they promise amnesty for all who have either worked with or facilitated the US and NATO in any role, still, there is a report from the United Nations that states that the Taliban are searching door to door for those who have worked for NATO and threatening their families. There are incidents where the Taliban fighters on their own are killing such people for seeking vengeance who have cooperated with the US and NATO. This creates a disparity between what is being said and what is being done. There is a communication gap between the Taliban leadership and the fighters on the ground.
This raises very serious concern because if such more incidents of execution are happening, it will be enough to shatter the trust of people in the Taliban as people are already finding it very hard to have in the promises that the Taliban are making. These executions can be considered as an individual act but can not be regarded as the policy of the Taliban. Because, if it were a policy, Kabul would have witnessed a great bloodbath as half of the Kabul worked for the US.
Taliban have very few numbers of skilled persons with them. Most of the people associated with the Taliban are fighters and they will be accommodated in the line of defense and security. To run the social system of the country, experts and educated people are required. The war-torn country cannot bear a societal disaster anymore. It needs people to help it grow and steer it in the right direction. It needs youngsters to stay there and serve the country, especially those who don’t have an option of leaving the country but to stay.
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Is there a glimpse of hope for Afghan people?
The Taliban government should provide safety and security to the youngsters so that they may be productive and contribute to national growth. This society, which has seen the wrath of war for the past four decades, needs educators and practitioners to introduce this society to the modern-day world and its necessities.
The Afghan people have the right to explore the world and avail opportunities. For this, the intellectuals have to play their role in uplifting the afghan nation and their identity. The minds of Afghanistan have to stay home and play their role in the transition that is coming. Taliban Government also fears brain drain and it needs minds that together make the backbone of the country. The impacts of brain drain on society will be catastrophic. Many people have become jobless and due to uncertainty and insecurity, there are chances for civil war. This is the time where the people have to be patient and the government has to be generous in order to maintain the social fabric intact.
Afghanistan has been famous for being the “Graveyard of Empires”. It is now the time when Afghanistan should become Empire in itself and “Engrave” itself as a prosperous, technologically advanced and moderate nation. It is only possible when the son of soils will serve the motherland and will not flee to other countries. The afghan people who have fled to other countries should come back to their country and serve the nation as they have already served-once they see the peaceful environment as promised by the Taliban.
Read more: Taliban parade in rejoice on US leaving Kabul Airport
Moreover, the Taliban government should abide by their promises made to the Afghan nation and should cultivate an environment of plurality and inclusiveness to fulfill the dream of a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan for everyone.
The writer is a public policy and political analyst. He has worked with several national and international think tanks. He can be reached at talha_zubair91@hotmail.com. The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.