Kerala travel vlogger Arunima returns home after being detained in Afghanistan, thanks Suresh Gopi

Kerala travel vlogger Arunima has returned home after being detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan. She reached Kerala after travelling from Kabul to Delhi and then to Kochi. Arunima shared details of her experience on social media, recounting the difficulties she faced during her return journey and thanking those who helped her. She specifically thanked the Indian Embassy and Union Minister Suresh Gopi for their assistance.

According to Arunima, the Indian Embassy provided support and intervened throughout her journey from Bamiyan to Kabul.
“I would first like to thank the Indian Embassy and respected Suresh Gopi. I was going through a very difficult situation. The Indian Embassy and Suresh Gopi spoke to my father and later called me and arranged all the necessary facilities,” Arunima said.
She said government officials in Bamiyan province visited her hotel and ensured her safety. She was then taken to Kabul in a government vehicle and handed over to the Indian Embassy.
“After I reached Kabul, the embassy driver picked me up and took me to the hotel,” she said.

Arunima said she reached the hotel late at night and that the embassy arranged a flight to India for her the following morning.
However, she said she faced further difficulties at the airport, including a power outage and a flight delay. She said there was no information about what was happening for several hours and that she became frightened as several flights were being cancelled.
“Finally, boarding began around 1 pm. I was the only woman on the flight. There were around 25 passengers, and apart from the air hostess and the pilot, everyone else was a man,” Arunima said.

She eventually reached Delhi, where another flight was booked for her to Kochi.
Reflecting on her return home, Arunima said the difficulties she experienced during the journey made her realise the value of her homeland.
“It is only when such things happen one after another during a journey that you truly understand the value of your own country. No matter how far you travel, the peace you feel when you finally return home is something else,” she said.