Taliban announced the cabinet under the wings of Mullah Hasan Akhund as acting PM early this week after announcing taking over Panjshir as the last nail in the Afghan coffin a few days back. It is a new phase of bilateral relations.
India has had a close alliance with the Nothern Alliance Frontier from 1999 till 25 August. But with the rise of a new regime, New Delhi has adopted the taciturn attitude without any clarity on the Taliban now ruling Afghanistan, just like international communities who mute themselves and are waiting to let the dust settle first after the Taliban took over Afghanistan.
For India, it may not work the same as a western nation. India is engaged with all south Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Qatar, who have influence and are tied with the Taliban, considering them as a government body. Hence, to ensure Indian’s futuristic interest in a tumultuous time, New Delhi should prepare itself to respond appropriately in case of any eventuality.
What Strategy Should India Adopt?
- India should closely monitor the workings and the style of the ruling of Taliban concerning women safety, child protection and their treatment of the minorities.
- India could open communication with the Taliban to address the issue of cross-border terrorist infiltration that threatens India’s national security to attributing the peaceful relationship keeping two countries in mind.
- India needs to enact a unified approach toward military, political and economic aspects to ensure its peace and safeguard.
- India-Iran built the Chabahar Port Project (plays a crucial role in rejuvenating India and Afghanistan’s trade by connecting them with energy reach Central Asia by bypassing Pakistan interference). Hence, by considering the present challenges, India is moving gingerly to ensure Afghanistan’s economic and political stability.
- There are some possibilities that rising Pakistani interference in Afghanistan will reduce India’s influence. Hence, India’s strategy to counter the Islamabad “hegemony” policy is to be observed.
Hence, the future of such a multilateral coalition looks unpredictable, as the Taliban is busy making over its image to the global platform from their earlier perception.
In the past 20 years, India has stood thick and thin with Afghanistan not only in terms of support but has also channelised a hefty $3 billion investment in Afghanistan’s infrastructure, education system, roads, dams and health facilities for over a decade.
But with the change in regime, there is no easy way for India. But definitely, whatever policies are undertaken will have consequences for the South-Asia nations geopolitics.