The US handed back Afghanistan to the Taliban on a platter after 20 years on August 26, 2021 when the last US troops left Afghanistan, suffering 19 killed while exiting. In these 20 years, the US continued its practice of promoting terrorism by inducting ISIS cadres from Iraq-Syria into Afghanistan (via Pakistan), conducting joint ISIS-US Special Forces operations in Afghanistan (photographic evidence of which exists), and allowing Pakistan to raise the ISKP in Peshawar and push it west into Afghanistan. During the same period, Al Qaeda declared its full support to the Taliban, which continues to date.

Concurrent to the US troops’ exit, Indian diplomats hurriedly packed their bags and ran back to India despite the Taliban asking them to stay put, assuring they have nothing to fear. S. Jaishankar was India’s foreign minister at that time, who has continued in the same appointment since then, and who warmly welcomed the Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi accompanied by Afghan trade and foreign ministry officials in New Delhi, held discussions with him, as well as a joint press conference with Muttaqi.

About a dozen countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, have embassies operating in Kabul, while Russia has formally recognised the Taliban administration. With the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, non-Taliban supporters pulled out from the Afghan diplomatic missions in India. Had India not pulled out its diplomats from Kabul in 2021 (notwithstanding Taliban-Pakistan relations), we could have: developed bilateral relations with Taliban,  improved economic and trade relations with them; seized the opportunity to not dilute our influence in the region,; reassured Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan against persecutions; explore investing in Afghanistan’s mineral wealth. 

Questions To Ponder

India has announced the opening of its full-fledged embassy in Kabul, which is an indirect recognition of the Taliban regime ruling the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2021, Pakistan has had a Taliban ambassador. Also, Taliban has had a political office in Doha since 2013, where the US-EU also interacts with the Taliban. China and Russia have diplomatic missions in Kabul and Beijing has a Taliban ambassador since 2023. But no country has provided a public platform to a Taliban official as India has - a joint press conference with a visiting Taliban minister!

Taliban’s human rights record, particularly its regressive misogynistic policies are well known. No doubt developing relations with Taliban is a geostrategic requirement. But why did India have to ban women reporters from attending the joint press conference by the two foreign ministers? 

If India’ External Affairs Minister was a lady (Sushma Swaraj or Nirmala Sitharaman), would they have been asked to wear a hijab or burqa to meet Muttaqi? If the government organized anti-China Tibetan protests outside Hyderabad House where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was holding discussions with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, wouldn’t the presence of women reporters have conveyed the right message to Muttaqi and the Taliban about what India stands for?   

Marriage Of Convenience

With regard to cross-border terrorism, it is good that Muttaqi has warned Pakistan and confirmed no Pakistan-based terrorist groups are operating in Afghanistan. But ISIS and the ISKP (which has elements of LeT and ISI) are operating in Pakistan. More importantly, Al Qaeda supports Taliban but is not ‘controlled’ by Taliban, and Al Qaeda’s offshoot AQIS is active in South Asia.

The Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are conjoined twins and both aim for a Global Islamic Emirate and Rule of Sharia. A marriage of convenience doesn’t guarantee permanence.   Should India forget the vehicle-borne IED attack at the main gate of the Indian embassy in Kabul on July 7, 2008, killing 59 persons (including four Indian officials) and injuring more 150 persons (including 5 ITBP personnel), and a Taliban website claiming responsibility for the attack?

Jaishankar’s exuberance over Muttaqi’s call for India to invest in Afghanistan’s minerals is premature. Has India given a thought why China is only doing limited copper mining in Afghanistan, despite beginning oil production in October 2012, extracting 1.5 million barrels of oil annually? The catch in all this is having a secure environment especially since no foreign venture is permitted to bring its own security forces along. Does India expect the Taliban to provide security for Indian private company ventures for mining?

Muttaqi’s visit increases India’s strategic influence in the region, perhaps counterbalancing Pakistan to a limited extent but not of China. Taliban delegations have been visiting Beijing; China is the intermediary between Pakistan and Taliban, and the CPEC is being extended to Afghanistan). The message from the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Dialogue is more than clear.

India Must Tread Carefully 

Afghanistan has said an attack on India will be considered an attack on Afghanistan and India has said an attack on Afghanistan will be considered an attack on India - akin to the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Defence Agreement. Now that Pakistan has bombed Kabul, is India going to bomb Islamabad? Is India readying to place military assets in Afghanistan to participate in the Big Power games?

India’s political hierarchy should ask themselves under whose influence did the UN grant temporary exemption allowing Muttaqi to travel to India - certainly not India, China or Russia. If it is Qatar, who is behind Qatar? Wouldn’t unravelling this mystery, which is not difficult, indicate the long-term Great Game? 

Finally, Muttaqi wasn’t doing a favour to India. Wasn’t his visit for mutual benefit, if not more beneficial to the Taliban by way of establishing a perception of legitimacy at home and globally. India must develop relations with the Taliban but tread carefully. India doesn’t have to bend backwards – or does it?

(The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal)