The more we read about them, silence grips us. The Talibs have now ordered the shopkeepers of Afghanistan to cover the mannequin faces displayed on their shops or businesses with hoods or veils. However no restrictions have been imposed regarding the other body parts and one can safely keep the arms or the legs of the mannequins exposed as before. People are saying that the businessmen have asked the Talib authorities to at least allow the arms and legs of the cheap plastic models to be exposed for better business opportunities. Though the heads can go covered if
wished. This is how a ludicrous understanding has been reached between the 'Rulers' and the 'Guild'. We have safely entered the Darkest Hours of our times.

If we take a look at what the international humanitarian organization Amnesty is saying in one of their recent tweets, the women of Afghanistan are now banned from,

Playing sports,

Appearing on TV,

Attending university,

Going to the gymnasium,

Working for an NGO,

Attending secondary school,

Travelling over 72 km, and

Accessing healthcare without a male person accompanying her In response to this, Amrullah Saleh, Acting President of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan in exile, has added "... your list is incomplete. Please revise it (with) some examples here : going to court, visiting doctors, praying in public, driving, complaining about her husband, eating in restaurants, disputing inheritance, to sum it up : TALIBS DEMAND HER TO BE A GHOST." Half of the sky has now become a spirit in the land of Bamyan or Hindukush as the world watches in silent retribution.

I am reminded of a word while describing this silence, as 'Agantuk' Manomohan Mitra mentioned it in the famous film directed by Satyajit Ray. Once upon a time the longest word in English language was, 'floccinaucinihilipilification', which meant 'of little or no value'. That is surely what best describes this so called retribution of the Upper World. The silence is deafening.

We have brought it upon ourselves. The modern Upper World, as I would like to call the league of first world nations, has brought it upon us – this mindless
darkness of our times. All they have thought since the inception of the industrial revolution is to create colonies and subjugate other nations and nationalities as their subordinates. Post the era of colonialism, imperialism took a new form in the shape of hegemonic control through economic and policy based influencing of the former colonies; the colonies whom the former rulers preferred to continue to rule
through puppet administrations controlled by them. Ruin of social structure and inception of orthodox, jingoistic elements like the Taliban of today, was evident. Afghanistan, like the Middle East of later times, served as a hegemonic battleground between the British and the Soviets at first and then continued as a similar contesting ground between the USA and the USSR during the period of Cold War. This has led the country towards a hopeless path of jeopardy and
internal destruction. The USA during its last tenure of ‘supervision’ over Afghanistan, which has continued for nearly two decades since the new millennium, had been able to do little for weaving together the tattered fabric of this nation. Afghanistan, as already divided in numerous ethnic groups and clans, had little experience of bonding together. Therefore the first task of an independent and progressive Afghan Government should have been to take care of this
pluralism existent in their nation, which should have been the driving force for inclusive development in this country. However, decades of war and atrocities
have left her citizens in bitter and hateful conditions with mistrust against the occupiers from the West and have taught them to accept chaos and lawlessness in
silence.

Why do we still write for them, the women of Afghanistan? Being well aware of the fact that we are sitting thousands of miles away from them in apparent peace and tranquility; why do we intend to write at all? First of all we do this reportage to
keep the women of the world informed about not only the atrocities those the Talibs are committing in Afghanistan but also about the indomitable courage being shown by the womankind in that nation. Public flogging, beheading, whipping, cutting off limbs, and public executions have become the norms in Afghanistan – and yet the women dare to be out on the streets. The women dare to shout slogans
against the Mullahs and face gun-butts and bullets in return. Their male compatriots are also lining up with the women who are protesting and braving the
wrath of the terrorists who call themselves the Government. The war for freedom and education is ongoing. However, we need to keep ourselves informed, for one more reason of importance. The only fact that we are not ruled by a bunch of terrorists cannot confirm that there is no darkness in our lands, our districts or our homes in particular. Women are yet to be treated with dignity in many parts of our
country as well. Women are yet to be provided with the basic amenities, basic reverence and assistance in many parts of our nation and in other developing/developed countries as well. The ‘other half of the sky’ is yet to crack the ‘glass ceiling’ and education remains a distant dream for a lion’s share of the girl-child population in many of the countries apart from Afghanistan. We don’t spend enough on their education; as neither do we spend enough for combating climate change, and instead we continue to fund divisive religious organizations to spread their propaganda of hate. We continue to rub shoulders with murderers for establishing ‘peace plans’ in order.

The demand for dignity should rise from the women in all of the nations, states, towns and districts in endemic forms. The Taliban is not the only force that
subjugates the female population. Every religion, every political or social ideology, every caste, creed or clan which derogates the dignity of women must be stopped, questioned and be confronted in all possible ways today. We write to make that a
reality. We write to establish dignity in ourselves. The fight is ours, and ours only to wage.

Writer : Essayist, short story writer.

Picture : Collected