Afghanistan: What does NATO withdrawal mean for India?

With the Taliban once again rising to a position of power, some fear that New Delhi might be forced to the margins in Afghanistan.

The final stages of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan, coupled with the Taliban's sweeping offensive, have forced regional stakeholders to recalibrate their position in the war-torn country.

One of those stakeholders is India — the largest regional donor to Afghanistan.

India has long supported the civilian government in Kabul, heavily investing in the country over the past two decades.

India's developmental assistance, to the tune of more than $3 billion (€2.5 billion), included the construction of dams, highways, schools, hospitals and even the country's parliament building.

All this was possible under the aegis of US security forces. Their exit by September has forced New Delhi to reckon with the prospect of a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

India and the Taliban

Policymakers in New Delhi have been watching the rapid gains made by the Afghan Taliban with growing concern.

The Islamist militants, believed to be backed by India's archrival Pakistan, have captured district after district, threatening Indian strategic interests in the country.

Earlier this month, New Delhi evacuated 50 Indian diplomats and staff from its consulate in Kandahar — a Taliban stronghold — as security deteriorated.

According to The Indian Express, the consulate in Mazar-iSharif in northern Afghanistan might be next if the fighting continues.

The last time the Taliban was in power, they sheltered proPakistan militants who had hijacked an Indian civilian airliner to Kandahar in 1999.

"Over the past years, India stuck to a principled position in terms of not negotiating with the Taliban," said Rani Mullen, associate professor at the College of William and Mary, Virginia, and a senior visiting fellow at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research.

"While admirable in terms of not wanting to negotiate with terrorists and supporting the democratically elected govern

Indian policymakers have been watching the rapid gains made by the Afghan Taliban with growing concern