KOCHI / NEW DELHI — Kerala-based travel vlogger Arunima I.P., known online as “Backpacker Arunima,” has returned safely to India following an ordeal in Afghanistan, where local authorities confronted her over strict regulations barring women from traveling without a male companion.
Upon arriving back in Kerala, Arunima clarified key details of the incident and publicly expressed gratitude to Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi and the Indian Embassy in Kabul for their swift consular support and coordination.
Encounter in Bamyan Province
Arunima had traveled to Afghanistan on a tourist visa to document her solo travels. While visiting the central province of Bamyan, she was stopped by local Taliban authorities who informed her that unaccompanied travel by women is prohibited under current administrative decrees, which require female travelers to be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram) or an authorized guide.
The encounter prompted Arunima to post an urgent SOS video to social media stating that she was facing arrest. Following her return to India, she clarified that while she was not taken into custody at a police station or held in a prison cell, she was subjected to questioning and faced an immediate and serious threat of formal detention if she attempted to continue traveling on her own. She also noted that she had worn local conservative dress, including a hijab, in an effort to comply with local norms.
Coordinated Return via Kabul
Following her distress message, Arunima’s family in Kerala reached out to Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, seeking assistance. Gopi’s office promptly contacted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi, which alerted the Indian Technical Mission operating out of Kabul.
In Bamyan, provincial authorities arranged vehicular transport to convey her toward Kabul. Upon her arrival in the capital, the Indian Embassy provided immediate consular assistance, with an embassy vehicle transporting her to a hotel for safe temporary accommodation.
Embassy officials subsequently assisted in arranging her commercial flight from Kabul to New Delhi, after which she rebooked transit onward to Cochin International Airport in Kerala.
Gratitude and Official Travel Warnings
Speaking to reporters upon her arrival in Kochi, Arunima expressed deep appreciation for the prompt assistance she received: “I am grateful to Union Minister Suresh Gopi and the officials at the Indian Embassy in Kabul, who maintained continuous contact with my family and ensured I could return home safely.”
The incident has drawn public attention to the stark realities facing travelers in Afghanistan, where the Taliban administration has enacted sweeping restrictions on women’s public movement, education, and employment since August 2021.
The Ministry of External Affairs maintains a standing advisory cautioning Indian nationals against non-essential travel to Afghanistan due to the fragile security environment, volatile administrative decrees, and limited consular infrastructure on the ground.
