Trust me, neither of you know what you're talking about. Kolkata was full of Kabuliwalas in those days, and Tagore even wrote a short story about one, that got made into a film. I used to attend their Navroz Bara Khana on the Maidan tagging along with my Dad, who was a person they really wanted to keep in their good books; this was long before 65. We never had a problem with the Kabuliwala, and he was a critical source for dried fruits; just thinking of his tin trunk makes my mouth water. They were also the only ones who could get the better of my mother in a bargain, which is really saying something.
Given a choice, I would happily keep the Afghans in India; we kept 10 million (that's ten times the number Pakistan hosted of the Afghans) Bangalis at the height of the killings, and we fought off plague and disease, and hunger from killing them off, although we were then, and continue to be a poor country ourselves.
To me, Afghans are on the same footing as Pakistanis; brothers strayed far away, prodigal sons absent for years, but always to be welcomed if they turn up hungry and feeling worn down. Pakistanis very much included, because the Pakistanis I know outside PDF are entirely different characters and profiles from SOME of the people I know here.
What happens on PDF is such crap, and so laughably different from the real world. There are PDF members (and a number of non-PDF Pakistanis) on other fora to which I belong, and they seem to be having a gala time.
Also, trust me. You don't know the half of the Afghan scum. They're a nation of parasites and leeches constantly seeking a host to feed off.
Indians are like an ATM for the Afghans, which is not something I have a problem with. But they just expect you to roll out the red carpet for them: the Afghans are "pros" at exploiting bleeding hearts like you, and many others like you.
In Mumbai the Afghan immigrants used to control the extortion business in Dharavi, Bhindi Bazar, Dongri, and some other areas. My, they take to crime like fish to water. Some were of course, exceptions such as Kader Khan who was a great humorist, one of the most prolific dialogue writers in Bollywood. I would happily take his types.
But to obtain one Kader Khan or Sanjay Khan, you will have to scrape through loads of ruffians and bandits with a penchant for violence, and a sense of entitlement with Indians which I haven't seen in any other nation/group. I had my most unpleasant interactions with the Afghans in Europe during my studies. They are a dangerous people if you make the mistake of getting acquainted to them. Always trigger-happy. Since it wasn't that easy for them to find guns in Europe, they were perfectly willing to butcher's knives to settle any disagreement. Unless of course, you have the good sense to give them what they want, and escape their surroundings.
I myself got stuck with some of the Afghan scum in Germany for a while during my studies. When I didn't have money to pay up, they forced me to deal drugs and procure prostitutes. Not that I was complaining of the extra cash but there were other ways to make money. I never needed to do that crap. Luckily I moved out to another country in Europe, but even after that I used to get their phone calls and messages.
I was able to eventually ditch them, and have met many Afghans after that. Each and every one of them is a problem individual.
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I don't hold Pakistanis to the same standard as the scummy Afghans. I wouldn't mind Pakistanis living in India: they're mostly sane individuals unlike the Afghans. Each and every Afghan is a crackpot and a career criminal.
There are like 40,000 of them here now thanks to George Bush and his WOT, and even that's too much.
