It Was Quite Challenging to Conduct Research Near the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border

Meha Dixit, author of Piece of War

What were the challenges you faced during the decade-long field work? Which conflict zones were more challenging than others and why?

Accessibility to the volatile regions, language barrier in some places, building trust with the locals, and of course security issues.

It was quite challenging to conduct research near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The key concerns were security and the accessibility to the volatile areas. In December 2017, while planning a trip from Kabul to the Nangarhar province (bordering Pakistan) along with Ahmad, a local, one of my friends from Kabul said, “On the way to Jalalabad (the capital of Nangarhar) the Taliban is often seen on the checkpoints in the evening. Therefore, it is better to travel in a public vehicle and wear a hijab and a long robe so that you can melt in the crowd.” His family members advised me to avoid talking during the entire journey of around four or five hours and communicate with Ahmad only through gestures.

When I reached Jalalabad, the director of an NGO told me, “Jalalabad is on high security alert and it is not advisable for an Indian national to stay in a hotel or guest house since Nangarhar is close to the Pakistan border.” I spent the next few nights in a training h