India’s Afghan Policy a Tricky Affair

• IAS NEXT, Lucknow
• 17, Dec 2021

What is the issue?

India has been confronted with one of the most important diplomatic challenges of devising viable policies to deal with a Taliban ruled Afghanistan Government.

What are the concerns of India with respect to Taliban?

• Terrorism- India had joined the international community to back the democratically elected governments, after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Taliban Government’s support to the radical Islamic causes from across its borders is the major concern for India.
• It has to be noted that the Taliban provides safe haven to radical Islamic groups, ranging from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Al Qaeda, to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan.
• Human right violations- Taliban have ruthlessly crushed attempts by the Tajiks and Shia Hazara population who seek a little bit of autonomy.
• The Taliban thrives on suppression of the majority non-Pashtun population.
• There is now a consensus that ethnic minorities (who constitute 55 % of the population) and women should enjoy their basic human rights and representation in national life in Afghanistan.
• China’s presence- China’s economic corridors in Pakistan and Afghanistan will soon be utilised for increasing Beijing’s economic presence in mining Afghanistan’s vast natural resources.
• The Taliban has stayed away from providing safe-haven and support to the long persecuted, fellow Uighur Muslims, in China’s neighbouring Xinjiang Province.

What actions were taken by India aftermath the Taliban takeover?

• India realised that some form of contacts were needed with the Taliban through engagement with Afghanistan’s western neighbours, who share similar concerns.
• As a non-permanent member of the UNSC, India backed resolutions in the Security Council to ensure that the Taliban-led government was denied membership of the UN, in view of the Taliban’s support to terrorist groups like the Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
• New Delhi has worked in close collaboration with Afghanistan’s Central Asian neighbours, with whom India has excellent relations, while formulating its policies on Afghanistan.
• India, Iran and Russia have a history of working together with the Central Asian Republics in dealing with the Taliban, even before the US invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
• India organised a meeting of National Security Advisers of Afghanistan’s Central Asian neighbours, Russia, and Iran, to discuss developments and to work out a strategy to get the Taliban to form a more inclusive government.

What about India’s engagement with Afghanistan?

• India assisted in building the Salma Dam, a 42 MW hydro-electric project in Afghanistan’s Herat Province.
• Hundreds of Afghan students have received their education in schools and colleges in India.
• Children’s education has been facilitated in Afghanistan by India providing mid-day meals.
• Zaranj-Delaram Highway was built by BRO along the Khash Rud River to provide an alternative route into landlocked Afghanistan through Chabahar port.
• Stor Palace was restored in Kabul by India.
• Construction of Parliament buildings, children’s hospital, 400 buses and 200 mini-buses for urban transportation, Air India aircrafts, Sulabh toilet blocks etc were undertaken by the Indian government.
• e-Emergency X-Misc visa was introduced by India to fast-track urgent applications for entry to India especially for Afghans as the situation worsens after the Taliban takeover.
• There have been repeated requests from Taliban for India to resume its economic assistance programme which had amounted to around $3.5 billion.
• The situation in Afghanistan became desperate where 50% of the population is seriously short of food, and 8.7 million are one step away from famine.
• So, India offered to supply 50,000 tonnes of wheat through the shortest route, across the Wagah-Attari border-trading post in Punjab.
• India has airlifted 6 tonnes of essential medical supplies to Kabul.
• In these circumstances, India has joined the international community in adopting a two-track approach to dealing with Afghanistan.
• It has decided that the highest priority needs to be given to dealing with the suffering of the people of Afghanistan.