As other regional players like China, Russia and Iran seek ways to accelerate their engagement, greater engagement with the Taliban will open up new possibilities for India.
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When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, India was frustrated about the future of Indo-Afghan relations and its impact on Indian security. Many hailed the moment as a major victory for Pakistan and lamented India's inability to shape its strategic environment. Western nations have thrown the Afghan people, who since 2001 began to believe in the mythical commitment to democratic ideals in the West, under the bus and move on, leaving regional states to face the challenges posed by the turbulent Af-Pak border.
But, with one phase of that Great Game coming to an end, another phase began in Afghanistan. Contrary to Francis Fukuyama's logic, history never ends. It takes on a different look and color, forcing you to recognize its strength and adjust accordingly. And, for the regional stakeholders, including the Taliban, ordinary Afghans and New Delhi, this is a long adjustment over the last 10 months.
Earlier this month, an official Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs JP Singh visited Afghanistan - the first such investment since the Taliban entered the Afghan capital and vacated the Indian embassy in Kabul in August 2021. Singh met with the acting foreign minister of the Taliban, Amir Khan Muttaki, and the Indian government is considering resuming its political presence in Afghanistan. During the visit, the Taliban raised the issue because they preferred an Indian political presence. Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban's political office, said the Taliban had "asked the Indian delegation to resume its political mission in Afghanistan" and that the Afghan government was "committed to providing a safe environment for its normal operations."
Given the scale and extent of the humanitarian catastrophe facing Afghans, New Delhi's engagement has been steadily increasing for obvious reasons.
New Delhi, for its part, has focused on the humanitarian side of the commitment, underlining that the recent visit was primarily about ensuring the proper distribution of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. The Indian delegation visited the Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul, Habibia High School and the Chimtala electricity sub-station - where Indian assistance provided tangible results for the Afghan people on the ground. India's Afghanistan policy has always focused on the welfare of ordinary Afghans, and this approach has little to do with who runs the government in Kabul, but there are long-term equations between the two peoples with long-term civilizational ties.
It was this humanitarian spirit that made India the most visible artist by supplying 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 13 tonnes of medicines, winter clothes, 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine, and 1 million doses of Covid. -19 vaccine for Afghan refugees in Iran. Given the scale and extent of the humanitarian catastrophe facing Afghans, New Delhi's engagement has been steadily increasing for obvious reasons. This has boosted India's credibility in Afghanistan and made it clear that India faces a negative situation in a troubled nation, yet it has no intention of abandoning its commitment to help its neighbor.
But this growing humanitarian spread now requires an Indian presence on the ground. If India remains the largest contributor to humanitarian efforts in the country, there is no reason to rely solely on multilateral institutions for aid delivery. It is also imperative for India to ensure that aid reaches those most in need and is distributed equally to all groups and regions. In addition, India will have to stand up for its own principles of equality and justice in the management of its humanitarian assistance. Therefore, reaching out to the Taliban becomes an important strategic priority.
During a recent meeting with Indian officials, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said that "Afghan-Indian relations will move forward on the basis of mutual respect and common bilateral legal interests" and will not be affected by "other countries' interactions".
The Taliban, for its part, is also recognizing that India is not moving away from regional and global influence. Without concrete engagement with New Delhi, a wider global reach is impossible. During a recent meeting with Indian officials, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said that "Afghan-Indian relations will move forward on the basis of mutual respect and common bilateral legal interests" and will not be affected by "other countries' interactions". Hostility. "
The Taliban has been eager to send this message to India for months. Pressure is mounting on Afghanistan-Pakistan relations as the Taliban seek to negotiate a so-called peace deal between the Pakistani military and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Although a ceasefire has been declared, the reality on the ground remains tense. The Taliban have continued to defy Pakistan by harboring the TTP and making strong claims on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
So it is not surprising that it reached India. New Delhi today has the opportunity to reset its terms of engagement with the Taliban on its own terms. As other regional players like China, Russia and Iran seek ways to accelerate their engagement, greater engagement with the Taliban will open up new possibilities for India. The Taliban is just as reactionary and repressive as its predecessors, but India and the world have changed. New Delhi must continue to underline its commitment to the Afghan minority and women and work with the wider international community to hold the Taliban accountable. There is no reason for them to be ashamed of making their presence felt in Afghanistan.
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