Finding India’s voice on Afghanistan

Context: In a world of hard geopolitical realities, India must leverage its unique strengths in remaining engaged with Afghanistan.

Background

• Developments so far: US withdrawal and swift takeover of Kabul on August 15 by Taliban.
• India’s sudden response: Evacuated its embassy and ended formal engagements with Afghanistan.

Nature of India’s engagement with Afghanistan over last two decades

• Infrastructure building and development assistance: Eg. Initiatives such as Zaranj-Delaram Highway and the Chabahar port project in Iran for transit trade with Afghanistan.
• Building democracy, helping script the Constitution and hold elections: India build the Parliament in Afghanistan.
• Educational investments: Allowing thousands of young Afghans to study, be trained as professionals and soldiers and become skilled in India.

Strategic marginalisation of India in Afghanistan – The gruesome geopolitical reality India is facing

• Left out of all negotiations: No other power from west to east has considered India’s interests while charting its course on Afghanistan. India left out of negotiations such as
• Troika plus of the United States-Russia-China-Pakistan that pushed for a more “inclusive government” including the Taliban.
• Regional arc of Russia-Iran-China-Pakistan, connectivity quadrilaterals formed by the US and China.
• A muted response: At UNSC and Human Rights Council, India expressed its worries about terrorism, human rights and refugees, but has not mentioned the Taliban itself even once by name.
• The lesson: It is time for India to accept the geopolitical reality and frame a new diplomatic strategy in Afghanistan.

Way forward: What India shall do to find its voice in Afghanistan?

• Action under the UN umbrella:
  • At the UNSC, India must be more vocal about its abhorrence of a Taliban-run Afghanistan that seeks to reverse the gains of the past two decades.
  • Take a leading role in the debate over who will be nominated for the Afghan seat at the UN.
  • As Chairman of Taliban Sanctions Committee (1988 Sanctions Committee), India must use its muscle to ensure terrorists are not be given any exemptions on travel, recourse to funds or arms.
• India must determine the nature of its engagement with the new regime in Afghanistan: 
  • Clarify whether India’s back-channel talks with the Taliban and with Pakistan in the past few months be advanced into something substantive.
  • This becomes more important as India now faces a “threat umbrella” to its north, including Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism, Afghanistan’s new regime and China’s aggression at the LAC.
  • A more broad-based and consultative process of engaging all political parties would be required. 
• People outreach: Government must embrace its greatest strength in Afghanistan, its relations with Afghan people, and open its doors to those who wish to come here.
  • India must continue to facilitate medical visas for Afghan patients and extend education visas for students who are already admitted to Indian colleges.

Conclusion: In a world of hard geopolitical realities, it is India’s soft power, strategic autonomy or non-alignment principles and selfless assistance to those in need, particularly in its neighbourhood, that has been the strongest chords to its unique voice in the world. The moment to make that voice heard in Afghanistan is now.