India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry meeting Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki in Dubai.
Explainer: Recently, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry’s meeting with Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki in Dubai has given rise to a new discussion. Many countries are surprised to wonder why India, which had always maintained distance from the Taliban, suddenly started taking steps towards improving relations after more than 3 years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. What benefits and losses can India get from this at political and diplomatic level? This first high-level talks between India and Taliban is being closely monitored in foreign countries also. Especially Pakistan, China and America are most cautious about this.
Let us tell you that relations between India and Afghanistan have been warm for many decades. However, there have been ups and downs due to changes in the circumstances of Afghanistan. Before the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, India had invested more than $3 billion in more than 500 different schemes. But after the Taliban came to power, India had completely ended its relations. No country has yet recognized the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, but about three dozen countries have maintained their political and diplomatic relations with it. But till now India had remained away from political and diplomatic relations.
Why did India suddenly extend its hand of friendship to Taliban?
According to experts, India has probably taken this step in view of the sudden geopolitical changes and circumstances after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. Before the Taliban came to power, Afghanistan and India had strong relations, but after that, China and Pakistan started increasing friendship with the Taliban. This was a kind of strategic blow for India. But recently, when there was a standoff between Taliban and Afghanistan, India once again jumped into the fray with the intention of gaining diplomatic lead in Kabul. Seeing this, even China, which is trying to increase its influence in Afghanistan, is stunned. After the talks between India and the Taliban regime in Dubai, the Taliban has expressed its desire to strengthen political and trade relations with New Delhi. At the same time, India has focused on increasing trade through Iran’s Chabahar Port. Iran’s Chabahar Port is strategically important for India.
What could be the profit and loss for India?
India has extended the hand of friendship towards Taliban at a time which may put pressure on other countries to accept the Afghan rule. This will be good for Taliban. Therefore, Taliban also wants to deepen friendship with India. India has clearly told the Taliban that relations with it will be restored only when it promises not to allow its soil to be used for any kind of terrorist activities. Taliban has agreed to this. Increasing India’s presence in Afghanistan will give it political and diplomatic edge. India will gain strategic edge in this region, especially against China and Pakistan.
But increasing friendship with Taliban can, on the other hand, have an adverse impact on India’s image, which has been its anti-terrorism stance. All the countries of the world including India have been considering Taliban as terrorists. India itself was at one time the biggest opponent of Taliban in the world. India had even warned countries thinking of recognizing the Taliban regime. Because of this, till date no country has been able to openly recognize the Taliban regime. But in a way, this conversation between India and Taliban is like giving recognition to it from India’s side.
