Ludo game – a new addiction upon Kabul youth

KABUL (Pajhwok): A fast increasing number of youth play Ludo game online in capital Kabul, wasting their time amid claims the game is used to gamble.

The Ludo game has recently become popular among a large number of Kabul youth who download the game from the internet into their mobile phones and play it in a circle.

Gambling on Ludo game

Taimor Shah, 27, who owns a motorcycle market in Jada-i-Maiwand area of Kabul, was playing the game with other nearby shopkeepers.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News: “We have no other activities, our sales have declined, we play this game to pass the time and may earn something.”

He said some youth bet on the game and the loser paid 500 afghanis to the winner.

“The game was not played like this six months ago and but now it is attracting more and more people with each passing day”, Shah said.

Fawad Ahmad, a mobile phone seller in Jada-i-Asmai area, also said some youth played the game due to joblessness.

“We see every day the youth fighting over gambling on the game, it is government’s responsibility to stop this madness. In the past people would gamble in a hidden place, but now you can do it wherever you want with Lodu game,” he said.

Abdul Saboor Rashid, an influential figure in the first police district of Kabul, said: “God may destroy those who have created this game. Everyone, from civilians to government officials, shopkeepers, police and even traffic police play the game.”

He said the youth in every corner of the city played the game and wasted their time and money. “I wish this game was used only as a fun, but it has become a source of gambling,” he said.

Ludo game in government organs

A government officer in the electronic ID cards registration office, who wished to go unnamed, said: “Some officials here addicted to Ludo game, they play it as soon as they come to office until lunch time.”

He said their office was newly set up and but still some workers played the game on their phones which had a negative impact on the office work.

He asked the government to ban the game in government organs and prevent mismanagement.

Pajhwok tried to contact senior officials at the e-ID cards registration office, but failed.

A municipality officer, who declined to be named, said many employees of the municipality played the game when they were free.

Municipality spokesman, Jalil Sultani, said he was unaware if the game was played in his office. He said no official of the municipality would be allowed to play the game during official time.

“If any officer of the municipality is found playing the game, he will be fired,” he warned.

Ludo game in schools

Mohammad Farooq, a teacher in one of Kabul schools, said using mobile phone was not allowed in schools but some students secretly brought cell phones to the class and played the Ludo game when teachers were out.

He also confirmed the game was becoming increasingly popular amomg the youth particularly teenagers. “After Facebook, Ludo game is wasting our children’s time.”

Hamayon Amiri, a journalist in Kabul, said some reporters were addicted to the game and they played it while waiting in halls for conferences.

Gambling is forbidden in Islam

An Islamic scholar, Shamsur Rahman Frotan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that any type of game if conditioned with gamble was forbidden in Islam.

He said Islam did not allow any games that wasted time and created problems for praying, education and work.

mds/ma

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