Editorial: India engaging with Taliban 2.0 — A pragmatic geopolitical shift

New Delhi’s deepening cooperation with the Taliban reflects an acknowledgement of the evolving geopolitical reality in the subcontinent 

Russia’s decision to formally recognise the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has, in a way, vindicated India’s pragmatic stand on engaging with Kabul to further strategic and humanitarian interests. Though New Delhi has not officially recognised the ultra-orthodox regime, it has progressively stepped up cooperation on economic development and humanitarian assistance. This calculated and measured diplomatic engagement reflects an acknowledgement of the basic geopolitical reality of the subcontinent. It signals that strategic and economic interests will take precedence over everything else. Notably, Kabul had condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and unequivocally promised that it would never allow anti-India terror elements to operate from its soil. The mutual cooperation has now reached the political level. The two sides had back-to-back meetings at the foreign secretary level recently, followed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s telephonic conversation with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi to strengthen political and economic cooperation. Significantly, the gradual improvement in India’s relationship with Afghanistan coincided with the latter’s growing friction with Islamabad. In fact, the two former friendly neighbours have now turned bitter foes, trading allegations against each other. Pakistan has been accusing Afghanistan of providing sanctuaries to the terrorist organisation, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to plan and carry out terror strikes in the country. The Taliban’s first stint in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 was marked by friendly relations with Pakistan and a clear hostility towards India as it had allowed Pakistani-sponsored terrorist organisations to operate from its soil against India and target Indian assets in the country and elsewhere.

However, there has been a dramatic turnaround in the geopolitics of the region ever since the Taliban captured power again in 2021, following the exit of the American troops from the war-torn country. It was India which was in the forefront to extend humanitarian assistance to avoid impending human tragedy in the wake of international sanctions. Afghanistan has long resented the Pakistan army’s brazen meddling in its internal affairs. Kabul has looked to New Delhi to balance the pressures from Rawalpindi. India has invested over $3 billion in several development projects ranging from small dams, power projects, bridges, to hospitals and the Afghan parliament. Afghanistan also provides India with an easy access to Central Asia by avoiding the land route through Pakistan. This will also help enhance connectivity in Afghanistan and make it easier for India to bring goods through Iran’s Chabahar Port to Afghanistan and reach Central Asia. Also, maintaining a good working relationship with the Taliban will ensure that Pakistan will be denied the past advantage of carrying out terror activities against India using Afghan soil. On its part, the Taliban is aware of the fact that its long-term survival depends on the United Nations lifting the sanctions and recognising it as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

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