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Indian travel content creator and filmmaker Sharanya Iyer, who is also known as ‘TrulyNomadly,’ on her social media account chose a path that is less travelled: a two-week journey to Afghanistan, which offers a raw, unfiltered look into a nation which is rarely traversed by tourists in recent days.
Sharanya, who quit her corporate job in 2019 to travel full-time, made it clear that her intention was never to present a romanticised or sanitised version of the country. Speaking to Hindustantimes.com, she reflected on the vast gap between how Afghanistan treats its own women versus how tourists are treated.
Sharanya Iyer Afghanistan Trip: No Intention of Whitewashing
Afghanistan has been under Taliban control since August 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces. After returning to power, the Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, which has changed lives in the region, especially for women and girls.
Taliban banned women from attending secondary schools and universities, and they are even prohibited from travelling long distances without a male guardian and required to follow strict dress codes.
While talking too Hindustran times, she stated that her intention is not to present the whitewashed version of the country. She stated that many Western travellers were criticised for only showing positive sides.
She said, “Does Afghanistan have beautiful places? Absolutely. Are the people warm and hospitable? Absolutely. But does that mean we stop talking about what’s happening to women there? I believe the answer is no.”
Why Sharanya Iyer Chose Afghanistan to Visit?
Sharanya Iyer’s love for Afghanistan grew from the literature and history she read during her childhood, from Khaled Hosseini’s novels to Rabindranath Tagore’s Kabuliwala. The nation’s common history with India and its rich heritage drew her in.
When asked why she decided to visit Afghanistan, a nation that is being boycotted on multiple fronts due to its dictatorship, the travel vlogger said that a month-long solo backpacking trip across Iran in 2022 was what initially changed her opinion of visiting strongly sanctioned countries.
She learned to keep a nation’s people apart from its government during her time in Iran, and she used this lesson in the planning of her journey to Afghanistan.
The Silent Crisis
Sharanya observed that stunning landscapes and warm hospitality are the dark reality of systemic human rights abuses, especially the extreme oppression of women.
The 36-year-old stated that, “So, if you’re not bound by the laws that Afghan women are bound by, you’ll see the warmth of the people. You’ll see them going out of their way to host you… The Afghan people are very hospitable. They love Indians. They won’t let you pay.”
However, she stated that many things that the media portrays are true, as women are not allowed to run businesses, can’t go outside their homes without a male companion, and such have very little personal freedom.
She also revealed that women are not allowed to go to school beyond the sixth grade. Iyer acknowledged that she saw girls on their way to school in their uniform, but they were young girls, as women are not allowed into universities anymore. The mahram rule is strictly applied there, as women only need to be accompanied by a close male relative when in public spaces.
Sharanya Iyer Afghanistan Trip: Why Boycott is Not the Answer?
Sharanya Iyer is strongly opposed to the idea of a total boycott or isolation of Afghanistan, even though their is political risks involved and the possibility that her critical social media opinion would prevent her from going back. She feels that for common people who are totally cut off from the wealth of the ruling class, tourism offers a crucial economic lifeline.
She did, however, give a strong warning to prospective tourists, pointing out that Afghanistan is not a typical vacation destination and necessitates a high degree of travel knowledge as well as a readiness to deal with considerable logistical uncertainties.
While talking about the biggest takeaways from her Afghanistan trip, she mentioned that you cannot boycott the entire country due to its regime. She also stated that if we completely prevent our trips to countries like Afghanistan, it would further isolate the ordinary people who live there and would take away the little opportunity they have to earn a livelihood.
