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OPINION SEPTEMBER 03, 2021 | The Indian Eye 12

india and taliban: terms of engagement

The US-backed Afghan governments, on the other hand, have had close relations with India,

which has been one of the largest development partners of Afghanistan, having invested over US$

3 billion under the protective US presence since 2001

SarOSh Bana US–Afghanistan SPA by a year.
Addressing the conference
he return of the Taliban in on Afghan peace negotiations at
an Afghanistan abandoned Doha, Qatar in September 2020,
Tby both its fleeing Presi- India’s External Affairs Minis-
dent and the US forces infuses a ter S. Jaishankar said that India
perilous complexity into India’s has completed more than 400
strategic environment. The US’s development projects across all
chastened retreat, rather than the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
withdrawal, from this embattled With the return of the Taliban,
land-locked country of over 35 there are concerns in India over
million puts the clock back to the the fate of these projects, as also
time when the Taliban reigned over any possible reversal in the
between 1996 and 2001. bilateral relationship.
The Taliban, or “students” in Considering Afghanistan vi-
the Pashto language, original- tal to its strategic interests in the
ly comprised students from the region, India has had high stakes
Pashtun areas of Afghanistan Union Minister for External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar interacts in Afghan stability. While it had
who were a faction of the jihad- with the media after briefing the Floor Leaders of political parties in Parliament been among the majority coun-
is (“holy” Islamic warriors) that on Present Situation in Afghanistan, at Parliament House, in New Delhi (ANI) tries that had snubbed the previ-
were funded and armed with ous Taliban regime—which had
shoulder-launched anti-aircraft been officially recognised only
Stinger missiles by the US in the by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and
later stages of the Soviet–Af- the United Arab Emirates—it
ghan War that ended in 1989. has effusively supported Afghan-
Their ranks were regularised in istan ever since the overthrow of
1994 through the madrassas (re- the Taliban by the US-led coali-
ligious seminaries) of Pakistan tion forces in 2001.
that were largely financed by India’s largesse has extend-
Saudi Arabia and which not only ed from schools and hospitals
preached a hardline form of Sun- to dams, and road and power
ni Islam, but also the handling infrastructure. The Afghan Par-
of arms and munitions. Within liament in Kabul that it built at
two years, the Pakistan-trained Sukran Ki Ardas (Thanks Giving prayer) is being performed at Guru Arjun US$ 90 million was inaugurated
Taliban gained power in Afghan- Dev Ji Gurdwara after three 'Swaroops' of Guru Granth Sahib were brought in December 2015 by then Pres-
istan, which they proclaimed an from Afghanistan, at Tilak Nagar, in New Delhi (ANI) ident Ashraf Ghani and Prime
Islamic Emirate, while enforcing Minister Narendra Modi, who
a virulent interpretation of Sha- rated by the Pakistan-occupied the rebuilding of Afghanistan’s described the building as India’s
ria, or Islamic law. Their hostility Kashmir (PoK), India shares a infrastructure and institutions, tribute to democracy in Afghan-
towards India draws from Paki- 106 km border with Afghanistan, as also of indigenous capacity istan. Other projects include
stan’s historic enmity with India. abutting the Wakhan Corridor. in different areas through edu- a children’s hospital in Kabul,
From being a vital entrepôt The US-backed Afghan gov- cation and technical assistance, health clinics in various prov-
on the Silk Road for centuries, ernments, on the other hand, to invest in Afghanistan’s natu- inces, the 42 MW Afghan-India
Afghanistan has been decimat- have had close relations with ral resources, provide duty-free Friendship Dam (earlier known
ed by volatile politics over the India, which has been one of the access to the Indian market for as Salma Dam) in Herat prov-
past decades. The 6,47,500 km2 largest development partners Afghan exports, support an Af- ince, the 202-km 220-kV trans-
mountainous country shares a of Afghanistan, having invested ghan-led, Afghan-owned and mission line from Pul-e-Khumri
2,430 km border with Pakistan, over US$ 3 billion under the pro- Afghan-controlled peace pro- to Kabul, and the US$ 150 mil-
1,206 km with Tajikistan, 936 km tective US presence since 2001. cess, and to advocate the need lion 218-km Zaranj-Delaram
with Iran, 744 km with Turkmen- The India–Afghanistan Strategic for a long-term commitment to highway located close to Af-
istan, 137 km with Uzbekistan, Partnership Agreement (SPA) Afghanistan by the international ghanistan’s border with Iran. Six
and 76 km border with China at of 2011 further strengthened community. In fact, the India– Indian personnel lost their lives
its eastern neck. Though sepa- India’s commitment to assist in Afghanistan SPA predates the Continued on next page... >>

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