<p>A youth from Kerala who was among the group of Indians evacuated from Afghanistan said that it was like a second birth as they were held hostage by the Taliban. He had even conveyed to some of his relatives that his life was almost over.</p>.<p>"Over the last one week, our lives were on tenterhooks. I felt safe only after reached Delhi by Sunday," said Deedil Rajeevan a native of Kannur district in Kerala.</p>.<p>Rajeevan was the first to get in touch with the Kerala government’s Non-Resident Keralites Affairs department after the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan. He indeed helped many Malayalis to get in touch with the authorities helping with the evacuation. He also said that some officials of the Ministry of External Affairs were in close contact with them giving moral support.</p>.<p>Rajeevan, who reached the Kannur international airport on Monday, told reporters that over the last week many like him were praying for life as they were in the custody of the Taliban. A batch of around 150 was proceeding to the airport in six buses. Taliban took custody of the buses and took them to a vacant building and verified the documents like passports.</p>.<p>He said that the Taliban said that they won’t hurt them and asked whether they would prefer to remain in Afghanistan and continue to work. But everyone wanted to leave the country owing to a feeling of insecurity. "When I got a chance to go to the toilet, I informed a cousin over mobile that if there is no further information about me, you may presume that I am gone," he said.</p>.<p>Rajeevan said that even as tension was prevailing in most parts of Afghanistan, Kabul was safe and companies in the region were also doing well. Hence they continued to work. But the Taliban’s entry to Kabul came all of a sudden and hence foreigners had to run for safety with what they had with them, said Rajeevan, who had been working in Afghanistan over the last ten years.</p>.<p>After Rajeeven got in touch with NORKA authorities, the state government also shared his contacts with the MEA. He that the Indian government as well as Kerala government for the efforts taken for their evacuation.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>A youth from Kerala who was among the group of Indians evacuated from Afghanistan said that it was like a second birth as they were held hostage by the Taliban. He had even conveyed to some of his relatives that his life was almost over.</p>.<p>"Over the last one week, our lives were on tenterhooks. I felt safe only after reached Delhi by Sunday," said Deedil Rajeevan a native of Kannur district in Kerala.</p>.<p>Rajeevan was the first to get in touch with the Kerala government’s Non-Resident Keralites Affairs department after the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan. He indeed helped many Malayalis to get in touch with the authorities helping with the evacuation. He also said that some officials of the Ministry of External Affairs were in close contact with them giving moral support.</p>.<p>Rajeevan, who reached the Kannur international airport on Monday, told reporters that over the last week many like him were praying for life as they were in the custody of the Taliban. A batch of around 150 was proceeding to the airport in six buses. Taliban took custody of the buses and took them to a vacant building and verified the documents like passports.</p>.<p>He said that the Taliban said that they won’t hurt them and asked whether they would prefer to remain in Afghanistan and continue to work. But everyone wanted to leave the country owing to a feeling of insecurity. "When I got a chance to go to the toilet, I informed a cousin over mobile that if there is no further information about me, you may presume that I am gone," he said.</p>.<p>Rajeevan said that even as tension was prevailing in most parts of Afghanistan, Kabul was safe and companies in the region were also doing well. Hence they continued to work. But the Taliban’s entry to Kabul came all of a sudden and hence foreigners had to run for safety with what they had with them, said Rajeevan, who had been working in Afghanistan over the last ten years.</p>.<p>After Rajeeven got in touch with NORKA authorities, the state government also shared his contacts with the MEA. He that the Indian government as well as Kerala government for the efforts taken for their evacuation.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>