My first vivid memory of Afghanistan is visiting a JRS literacy centre at Qasaba. Salim accompanied me. The JRS centre was in the compound of a local leader, who allowed the literacy class to happen in a tent. There was a steady stream of young students who came to learn in batches. All were IDPs who had suffered personal loss during the Taliban regime. Some were victims of landmines and other explosions. What remains vividly is the sense of hope, not in the future, but in the immediate present. The joy of coming together, of just being alive, is what I will never forget.

​

One incident I remember is when one of our Afghan teachers suffered food poisoning in Delhi. We were attending a Peace and Reconciliation workshop. Many discussions revolved around forgiveness and mercy. That night Sandesh and I received a call that an Afghan teacher had been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital. It was 10.30 pm when we arrived. The other Afghan teachers who helped in the admission belonged to ethnic groups other than the patient. But the love and concern they showed made me realize that reconciliation is not a pipe dream.

​

It was a privilege to be associated with this JRS endeavour. It made me realize what it means to be a Jesuit. To go out into the deep and listen to the cry  of God: “Set My people free”.