Classical Indian instrumentalist couple Pt Abhishek Adhikari and Dr Murchana Adhikary Barthakur, who taught sitar and sarod to their students in Afghanistan, now live with concerns for their students after the takeover of the country by the Taliban and the deadly explosion at Kabul airport.

They are in contact with some of their Afghan students through Facebook Messenger.

The couple had been associated with the Afghan government-run institute for instrumental music – the Afghan National Institute of Music – from 2012 to October 2019, then left the institute and returned to India.

They were addressed with reverence, like Ustad Abhishek and Ustad Murchana in Afghanistan.

After 2019, on their own initiative, the duo continued to provide online music lessons to enthusiastic students in Kabul until things came to a standstill due to the Kabul takeover. Taliban in mid-August.

Pt Abhishek told PTI from somewhere in northern India: “Our students are afraid to practice or listen to music because the Taliban are against music. Secretly, few of my students, living in the same neighborhood, have gathered at their homes to listen to Indian classical music kept with them. They did this after closing the door and windows and making sure no decibels came out. to their safety. visited the Kabul Institute twice a year from 2012 and from 2015 moved there until departure in 2019.

Stating that he was trying to contact his students after hearing about the deadly airport explosion on Thursday, Pt Adhikari said on Friday his concerns increased for the safety and well-being of supporters and friends based there. -low.

“So far my students are safe. I contacted them immediately after learning of the explosion at Kabul airport. But I’m trying to get more updates, ” he informed.

The classic said the institute’s director told him the other day that he wanted all music teachers and students to be able to leave Kabul, but this currently seems fraught with uncertainty as the Taliban does not want that. Afghan nationals are leaving. When they took over Kabul this time, the Taliban first said that they would do no harm to artists, to professionals, that they would not prevent women from practicing their profession. They would not take away personal freedom, he said.

However, from reports that have been pouring in from there in recent days, “ it seems that even though there are moderate voices in the militia, this has been picked up by the diehards who firmly believe that music and l ‘art should not be practiced and women should live indoors,’ ‘he added.

The couple traveled to Afghanistan as a visiting professor twice a year from 2012 to 2015. From 2015 to September 22, 2019, they were there as permanent professors of Sitar and Sarod.

The institute had around 350 students interested in classical Indian instrumentals.

(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)