I-Band-E-Amir National Park, Afghanistan – Amaphupho amakhulu abonakala ekucwebezeleni okune-azure-hued kwalawa machibi acwebile asezintabeni: Izifiso ezixakile zase-Afghanistan zokuba ipharadesi labavakashi.
Ngokunikezelwa namuhla kwepaki yezwe yokuqala yezwe, eyakhiwe amachibi ayisithupha axhumene azungezwe amawa amangalisayo e-travertine, izikhulu zizwakalise ukuthi zinethemba lokuthi izivakashi zingase zibuyele kancane kancane e-Afghanistan ngemva kweminyaka engamashumi amathathu yempi.
Lesi sizwe asinayo indawo kumephu yezivakashi kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1970s. Ngalezo zinsuku, kwakuyisitobhi esidumile emzileni wama-hippie, i-Silk Road exoticism kanye ne-hashish eshibhile iwunga elingenakuvinjwa.
Kulezi zinsuku, njengoba kuqubuka udlame oluholwa yiTaliban, uMnyango Wezwe uyaqhubeka "nokuxwayisa kakhulu izakhamizi zase-US ngokuvakashela e-Afghanistan," wengeza ngokuthi ayikho ingxenye yezwe "okufanele ithathwe njengengenalo udlame."
Noma kunjalo, iNxusa laseMelika uKarl Eikenberry wayephakathi kwezicukuthwane ezihlanganyele ekunikezelweni kweBand-e-Amir National Park, etshela izethameli zeVIP kanye nezakhamuzi ezazibuthene ngaphansi kwetende lesikhashana ukuthi umcimbi umake “umzuzu wokuziqhenya nge-Afghanistan . . . ukuvuka.”
Leli paki lisesifundazweni sase-Bamian, maphakathi ne-Afghanistan, elaziwa ngobuhle bamanye amazwe bendawo yalo kanye nokuntuleka kodlame oluphawulekayo. Kodwa izigodi zesifundazwe ezikhanyiswe yilanga zinesikhathi esidlule esimnyama.
Ngo-2001, ukucekelwa phansi kweTaliban kwezithombe ezinkulu zikaBuddha zaseBamian kwaba uphawu lomthetho wengcindezelo wale nhlangano. Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990, idlanzana lama-Hazaras e-Bamian nakwezinye izindawo kwakuyizisulu zokuchithwa kwegazi lobuhlanga.
Ukwakhiwa kwepaki kazwelonke e-Band-e-Amir kuwumvuthwandaba wemizamo yeminyaka engama-35 yamaqembu ase-Afghan kanye namaqembu omhlaba, achithwa kaningi yimpi futhi asongelwa ngesinye isikhathi iphrojekthi enkulu ehlongozwayo yokuphehla ugesi ngamanzi. Lokho kuholele emizamweni yomphathi wesifazane onomfutho wesifundazwe, uHabiba Sarabi, obekhona emcimbini wokunikezelwa kwenkonzo.
Sekungamakhulu eminyaka, amabutho ahlaselayo akha iningi labavakashi bangaphandle base-Afghanistan. Bambalwa kuphela abavakashi bamazwe ngamazwe abangabalwa manje, kodwa i-Bamian sekuyisikhathi eside idonsela imindeni yase-Afghan, kanye nezisebenzi zosizo zakwamanye amazwe kanye nabanye abangaphandle.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi abantu abaningi bazoza njengoba bebona ukuthi leli gumbi eliphephe kakhulu lezwe," kusho uSher Husain, ihhotela lakhe elibheke izindawo ezingenalutho lapho amaBuddha ake ama khona.
Maqondana nokuthi i-Afghanistan iyonke ingase iphephe nini ngokwanele kumhambi ovamile, u-Eikenberry - owayengujenene Wezempi wezinkanyezi ezintathu kanye nomakadebona wempi yase-Afghan ngaphambi kokuba athathe ubunxusa bakhe - uvumile, "Kuzothatha isikhathi."
Noma kunjalo, izintelezi zepaki zingangokuthi zibangela ukuvela okuyivelakancane e-Afghanistan: umfutho wokudlala. Eceleni kwechibi, inxusa lagibela esikebheni esine-pedal esiluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka okuphaphathekile futhi lathatha isekela likamongameli wezwe, uKarim Khalili, ukuze ajike.
I-Band-e-Amir ayifinyeleleki ngokuqhathaniswa; ukufika lapha kudinga uhambo olunzima lwamahora angu-10 onqamula izintaba ezimbili ukusuka enhloko-dolobha, i-Kabul, cishe amakhilomitha angu-110 ukuya empumalanga. Uhlelo lomgwaqo oluxhaswe yi-US kulindeleke ukuthi lugcine lufinyeze lolo hambo lube amahora amathathu.
Abanye bangakujabulela ukubona le ndawo ihlezi ingekho endleleni, besabela isimo sayo semvelo esintekenteke.
UMarnie Gustavson, waseMelika ophethe inhlangano engenzi nzuzo eKabul esebenza nabantu base-Afghan ababencishwe amathuba, ukhumbule evakashela amachibi esemncane ngeminyaka yawo-1960 nabazali bakhe, ababengabasebenzi bokuthuthukisa. Wachaza ukugeza emachibini acwebile ngemva kohambo olude nothuli “njengomlingo.”
“Okunye ukuthuthukiswa kwezivakashi kuhle, ngoba kuzosiza abantu bendawo nomnotho wendawo,” kusho yena. "Akuningi kakhulu."
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Ambassador Karl Eikenberry was among the dignitaries who joined in the dedication of Band-e-Amir National Park, telling an audience of VIPs and villagers gathered under a makeshift tent that the occasion marked a “proud moment for Afghanistan .
- The creation of a national park at Band-e-Amir is the culmination of 35 years of efforts by Afghan and international groups, repeatedly derailed by war and threatened at one point by a huge proposed hydroelectric project.
- Marnie Gustavson, an American who runs a nonprofit organization in Kabul that works with disadvantaged Afghans, recalled visiting the lakes as a child in the 1960s with her parents, who were development workers.
