KOLKATA: An elderly couple from north Dum Dum is spending sleepless nights since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Their only son, an army school teacher is now stuck in Kabul. The couple has had no contact with their son since Monday.
Shyamal Bhattacharya, a 66-year-old school headmaster, and his wife Minati, residents of Nimta’s Udaypur in North Dum Dum, are terribly worried after their son Tamal’s flight ticket on Wednesday from Kabul airport was also cancelled. The 30-year-old mechanical engineer got the job as a teacher in Kazan International School, an army school in Kabul, in March. He was staying in the school’s staff quarter and teaching physics and chemistry.
For the last couple days, the couple has been desperately trying to contact their son over phone and on social media sites, but in vain. The couple could contact with their son over a chat messenger for the last time on Monday afternoon.
“It was around 3pm on Monday while I managed to get in touch with my son online. As he came online, I asked him about the situation. All through, he was trying to tell me that he was fine. I could make out that he was confused and scared. He was just trying to calm me down. He is now in school principal’s house and managed to get in touch with the Indian embassy who assured him to make an arrangement for his safe return to Kolkata,” Bhattacharya said, adding that they urge both the Indian and Bengal government for their son’s rescue.
The father gave his son some suggestions to be safe amid the turmoil. But after a few minutes, he left the chat. Since then, Tamal has remained incommunicado.
Minati, the mother who is almost having a panic attack after watching the situation on TV news channel throughout the days, is still weeping while talking about his son. “We are really scared of the situation there. We are afraid since he is an army school teacher. My son’s flight ticket on Wednesday got cancelIed. I don’t know what is my son’s condition now and what he is doing. We have been unable to contact him. I just pray for him to be safe,” the elderly mother said.
