In a r/mapporn thread, an Afghan redditor had some fascinating personal insights about the Soviet occupation. This led me to think about what life was like in parts of Afghanistan that the Soviets maintained firmer control over (eg Kabul, Kandahar, the Ring Road). To what extent were the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and/or Soviet forces able to implement a communist agenda? How much free agency/autonomy did the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan have in its vision and administration? What was support for communism like in the grassroots in those areas; did the communist regime and/or Soviet forces receive genuine grassroots support? Did any communist-era policy or reform survive past Soviet withdrawal and the end of the Cold War?
I am Afghan but born and raised in the US. What my parents told me was that they dealt with having their homes searched for materials deemed subversive. They had to hide things all the time. My uncle's name is Rafiq but the communists called each other Rafiq. So in order for people to not think he is a communist (he is very much against communism) he went by another name in public. They did find ways to listen to the BBC, I think it was illegal to listen to BBC broadcasts.