“Afghan chess player — ‘a gift of Jalalabad to India’

NEW DELHI (Pajhwok): In a corner of Palika Bazaar, the Afghan chess player (Afghan Chacha) attracts many fans in New Delhi’s underground market.

He plays the game with one of his friend, who had challenged him. A resident of Makroryan area of capital Kabul, the 58 years old Abdul Samad Nawabi aka Afghan Chacha, left alone in New Delhi by his family who took refuge in Europe.

He lives alone in the India’s capital since several years. Nawabi told Pajhwok Afghan News, “I am living alone, I travel dozens of kilometers from my residence to Palika Bazaar on a daily basis, where I set chessboard and play the game until evening,”

He is original resident of Sra Rod district of eastern Nangarhar province. Nawabi was living in Makroryan area of Kabul until the Mujahideen and India.

“We would play the chess on the provincial level in Kabul, I was a student of veterinary university when I learnt this game, I and friends were gathering in Makroryan and playing this game,” he recalled.

Nawabi did not play in the national chess team when he was in Afghanistan, but he said he had beaten top chess players on the capital level.

Palika Bazaar and chess

Palika Bazaar is a busy city of New Delhi, where a major metro station exists and a large number of people visit the city’s ornamental park.

Nawabi travels from his residence, Bogul area to Palika Bazaar for playing chess. He carries five chessboards in a black box and attracts his fans whenever arrives at this bazaar.

“I do not bring these chessboards here so people gamble or give me money, I love this game and I bring it here for other fans,” he said.

Afghan Chacha

A number of printing and online media outlets in India this week published reports about Afghan Chacha on front pages describing the Afghan man as Chacha (uncle) of love in Palika Bazaar.

Local wealthy and matured people visit Afghan Chacha at different times for playing chess and having a chat.

Wasel Khan, a reporter with Buland Bharat newspaper in India said that he started meeting the Afghan Chacha few months ago and found a taste of Kabul love in him Kabul.

“I salute the humanity of Afghan Chacha, he comes everyday here entertain his fans, He is really a gift from Jalalabad (capital of Nangarhar province) to India,” he said.

He said local people loved the Afghan Chacha and many people had learnt chess from him.

According to statistics, around 14,000 Afghan refugees live in New Delhi. They are involved in different activities.

Other Afghans like Nawabi also are busy doing different activities and mostly work in hotels and attract Indians’ attention for being good cooking.

mds/ma

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