Arunima I P in Afghanistan (shared on Facbook)
Officials allegedly demanded a permit, a guide and 10,000 Afghanis, besides a fine for travelling without the required authorisation. Arunima, who has around 1.2 million Instagram followers, said she told the authorities that she intended to leave Afghanistan and travel towards Uzbekistan. Because she was travelling without a male companion, arunima said she had earlier tried to obtain a permit in Jalalabad but was refused.
She said on Tuesday that “she was safe”. She shared a translated message saying she had been “arrested by Mujahideen” for not having an official letter. I was completely frozen and didn’t know what to do,” she said, adding that she had “literally begged” the local man to explain her situation.
Arunima’s social media post, saying that she was threatened with arrest by authorities in Afghanistan’s Bamyan after being questioned for travelling alone, without a male companion or guide. Arunima, of Ottapalam in Palakkad in Kerala, had triggered concern after posting a distress message seeking help to contact the Indian embassy. “I’m in trouble in Afghanistan. I’m in Bamyan,” she wrote. In a subsequent post, Arunima clarified that she was not taken to a police station or prison. He intervened and spoke to the authorities on her behalf. Following the discussions, she was eventually allowed to continue her journey without obtaining the permit. “Until he came, my heart was beating extremely fast.
As the situation became tense, Arunima contacted a local man who had earlier helped her reach Bamyan. Palakkad : A distress message from Afghanistan sent Kerala travel vlogger Arunima I P, popularly known as Backpacker Arunima, into spotlight on Monday.
Arunima has been touring Afghanistan since Sept 4 after completing a solo trip to Kyrgyzstan.
She said authorities told her that women were not permitted to travel alone under local rules. “According to the law of this country, a woman can’t travel alone,” Arunima said, recounting what officials told her. She said they warned that she had violated the rules and could be arrested.
As it was already dark, residents approached her and asked her to show her passport, visa and travel permit. She reached Bamyan around 7pm on Monday after getting a lift in a truck, according to her.
She later assured her followers that she was safe and planned to travel around 500 km towards the Uzbekistan border, though she expected several checkpoints along the route. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news.
“My ‘crime’ was simply that I had travelled alone as a woman in a country where women are not allowed to travel alone,” Arunima said. Download the TOI App.