Ninad D Sheth
India’s Afghanistan engagement illustrates a new facet of Indian foreign policy, a delicate balance on a tightrope that prioritises national interest over idealism.
While India has long championed democracy, gender equality, and human rights on the global stage, its approach to Afghanistan underscores a calculated reset when faced with geopolitical realities. The rugged terrain of Afghan politics, much like its mountains, is fraught with challenges but also offers opportunities to secure India’s strategic objectives.
Shared Stakes with Washington
There is an India-US alignment in Afghanistan; both want to prevent the threats they faced from Taliban 1.0. For Washington, this is a battle scarred by the memories of 9/11. For India, the stakes are equally high, with the threat of Afghan soil being the launch pad for terror into India. It is this that India seeks to prevent and neutralise through engagement with Afghanistan to the extent that it can moderate its behaviour.
Additionally, Afghanistan still holds Americans as hostages. Trump will not look kindly at that standoff; weapons could well soon be back in use over Afghanistan.
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