It's a start! After months of pondering about the how and the who and the when, I thought it was time to just go ahead and do it.
There may not be much here to read or see, but the fact that it is out here, should generate interest and as the word spreads, I think there will be a place, a place in cyberspace, to bring together a group of people that spent a few years together in a little place called Kabul, Afghanistan.
This Site is created for all who attended the India School in Kabul, Afghanistan- as a student or as faculty. I continue to search for school memorabilia to put on this site. I was in touch with some of you a few months ago and an overwhelming of you responded positively about the site and said you would send in whatever information you had. I did not receive a single item from any one of you. Not to worry. If at first you don't succeed....
I spoke to some of you personally: face-to-face, over the phone or emails and I know there is interest. I also know that it is hard to find the time to dig up something you know you have, but do not know where it is. All it takes is a commitment and a little time. So, go ahead, take a day or two and and find some interesting article, photograph or experience that you would like to share with the rest of us and send it to me. I am sure somebody out there has copies of the school yearbook - Deepti !
Finally, sign the guestbook and let others know about this site. I will continue to maintain this site, but honestly, with your help, we can keep it going forever.
- Manoj (July 2004)
AFGHANISTAN: Area: 251,825 sq mi. Population (2002 est.: 27,756,000). Capital: Kabul.
About two-fifths of the people belong to the Pashtun ethnic group; other ethnic groups include Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazara.
Languages: Pashto, Persian (both official). Religion: Islam (official).
Currency: afghani. Afghanistan has three distinctive regions: the northern
plains are the major agricultural area; the southwestern plateau consists
primarily of desert and semiarid landscape; the central highlands, including
the Hindu Kush, separates these regions. Afghanistan has a developing
economy based largely on agriculture; its significant mineral resources
remain largely untapped because of the Afghan War of the 1980s and
subsequent fighting. Traditional handicrafts remain important; woolen
carpets are a major export. The area was part of the Persian Achaemenian
Empire in the 6th century BC and was conquered by Alexander the Great in the
4th century BC. Hindu influence entered with the Hephthalites and Sasanians;
Islam became entrenched during the rule of the Saffarids, c. AD 870.
Afghanistan was divided between the Mughal Empire of India and the Safavid
empire of Persia until the 18th century, when other Persians under Nadir
Shah took control. Britain fought several wars in the area in the 19th
century. From the 1930s the country had a stable monarchy, which was
overthrown in the 1970s. Marxist reforms sparked rebellion, and Soviet
troops invaded. Afghan guerrillas prevailed, and the Soviets withdrew in
1989. In 1992 rebel factions overthrew the government and established an
Islamic republic. In 1996 the Taliban militia took power and enforced a
harsh Islamic order. The militia's unwillingness to extradite extremist
leader Osama bin Laden and members of his al-Qaeda organization following
the September 11 attacks in 2001 led to military conflict with the U.S. and
allied nations, the overthrow of the Taliban, and the establishment of an
interim government.
A 1972 postcard from Kabul, Afghanistan
KABUL: (pop., 1993 est.: 700,000), capital of Afghanistan.
Located on the Kabul River in a valley strategically located between
mountain passes, it has existed for some 3,500 years. It became the capital
of the Mughal dynasty in the 16th century, and it remained under Mughal rule
until 1738, when it was captured by the Iranian conqueror Nadir Shah. Kabul
has been the capital of Afghanistan since 1776. When the Soviet Union
invaded Afghanistan in 1979, it established a military command in Kabul.
After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, factional fighting among Afghan
guerrillas continued intermittently and the city suffered widespread
destruction. In 1996 the Taliban captured Kabul and imposed an austere form
of Islamic rule. The city began to recover from years of violence only when
the Taliban government was overthrown in 2001.
Copyright © 2004 India School Kabul Alumni Association. All rights reserved.
website design & hosting provided by A1 Promotions