Mangaluru: A Jesuit priest stranded in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country said the situation is “changing” and “chaotic.” Fr. Jerome Sequeira, a native of Kalkuri, Siddakatte, Sangabettu Village, Dakshina Kannada District, has been stranded in Afghanistan.
He is currently employed as a lecturer in an Afghan educational institution. According to the sources, his family members informed that he is safe and in touch with them. He tried to return to India soon after the unrest situation began, but was unable to do so because he was waiting for another priest to join him.
Speaking to The Catholic Telegraph he said, “The way the situation is changing in the country, it is beyond anyone’s imagination. The mission has already suspended its activities across the country and has ensured the safety of all its staff.”
Fr. Jerome further said, “They have stopped all operations and are hibernating in their homes or communities for an indefinite period of time. All flights are cancelled and it all depends on the agreement between the United Nations bodies and the Taliban.”
He mentioned that Taliban are busy occupying all government systems and putting their own persons. They are not harming the civilians at the moment, but it will come once they fully capture all the systems of the country.
The militant group has a list of all organisations. “In some places they have started door-to-door inquiries about the personnel of organisations. Thousands are trying to flee and are fleeing to airports. The Taliban were shooting in the air and trying to control the crowd,” he added.
He said that the Jesuit service is putting all efforts to evacuate him and the other Jesuit priest.
“Thank you for your continuous prayers for our safety. However, safety does not make sense here anymore because of the situation,” he added.
He said, “Did we, the international community, invest so much and establish so much in the last 20 years just to hand it over to the Taliban in a matter of days?”
Jerome Sequeira had earlier served in Afghanistan and returned to the country in December 2020 after four years serving as a principal in Jamshedpur.
Inputs from The Catholic Telegraph
