Far away from war and strife, how Kabuliwalas have become part of Kolkata's ethos

Today, the Kabuliwalas no longer sell dry fruits or lend money. Most of them have tailoring businesses or clothes shops. But Kolkata's rich history is incomplete without recognising them.

"O Kabuliwala, Kabuliwala, what have you got in your bag?" The words by five-year-old Mini to Rahmat Khan, a trader from Afghanistan, will always remain etched in the minds of those who have grown up reading Rabindranath Tagore's short story 'Kabuliwala' as part of their school syllabus. The name from Tagore's story is still in use and the people of Afghanistan residing in Kolkata are called Kabuliwalas, which loosely translates to "people of Kabul".