As the time passes through the transition period in Afghanistan, the security situation is becoming challenging. Not only the national and international security forces but the civilians have to face the wrath of terror, as well. The VIPs belonging to government offices and some political parties have also been influenced by insecurity to a large extent. On certain occasions, there have been incidents when any foreigner, not belonging to military, has been targeted, as well. Unfortunately, Thursday, Sep. 5th was one of the days when a respectable Indian civilian – a well-known writer was targeted in Paktika province.

According to news reports, Shushmita Banerjee, known as Sahib Kamala in Afghanistan, was killed in the Sray Kala area on the outskirts of Sharan. She was taken out of her residence and then shot by the suspected Taliban insurgents.

Kamala’s books about her experiences in Afghanistan and a daring escape from the Taliban custody back in 1995 were bestsellers in West Bengal and had inspired Indian producers to make a film on the women’s situation in Afghanistan.

Her writings contained the plight of Afghan women and the spirit of freedom. Her killing can be related to her writings; as Afghan society has not been very much welcoming towards the ideas of the emancipation of women and towards those who have been trying to promulgate them in some ways or the others.

The patriarchal Afghan society has always discriminated Afghan women and has even promoted violence against them. Moreover, any attempt aimed at highlighting these incidents and violations has been answered with terror and bullets.

Kamala’s brutal killing has been an indication that Taliban, who have always opposed women participation in social and political lives, take every step to discourage the struggle for the social uplift of the discriminated gender. Their this step is in fact very much cowardly and shows that they will not hesitate to target civilians and even a lonely woman and they will not be able to silence the voice that is raised against the discrimination of women; as a writer in Indian state of Bengal, Suchitra Bhattacharya, said, "Bullet cannot stop the spirit of freedom".
Afghan government, especially security officials must make sure that they take every step to find out the culprits of this heinous crime and must punish them as per the Afghan law. This would be a great favor for not Kamala’s family, friends and her countrymen alone but also for Afghan women and people.