Early steps will pay, but weigh words to Taliban
TNew Delhi needs to ascertain that Mr Stanekzai represents all sections of the Taliban leadership when he pronounces himself on India
he situation in Afghanistan remains fluid and cannot inspire confidence even in China and Russia, Taliban’s and Pakistan’s most consequential current friends that have overtly tried to please it. The relatively soft and moderate face the Taliban are seeking to project is no doubt helpful but deeds will have to speak louder than words, given the insurgents’ past record. For India, the road is likely to be full of twists and turns.
And yet, the gesture of the head of the Taliban political office in Doha, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, of visiting the Indian embassy to meet the ambassador last Tuesday and reassure that New Delhi’s concerns will be approached “positively” deserves a measured but non-dismissive response. As Germany’s leader Angela Merkel reminds us, the fact cannot be wished away that the Taliban are now in charge, no matter the “bitterness” their return has provoked.
India’s decision to officially acknowledge the meeting with a prominent Taliban leader, even if it was at a functional and not political level, is itself noteworthy. This country has avoided open contacts with the Taliban. Its foremost concern is doubtless linked to security on account of the Pakistan and the terrorism factor and Taliban’s relationship with Pakistani groups.
Thus, it was made clear to Mr Stanekzai that the dominating presence of the Taliban in Afghanistan must not be permitted to give international terrorists any opportunity or incentive to attack Indian entities in Afghanistan or use the country as a launch-pad for attacks within India or anywhere else. This is in line with a UN Security Council resolution. With the Taliban now in charge of Kabul airport after the US withdrawal, New Delhi would also like safe airlift of any Indians still in Afghanistan as well as Afghan nationals wishing to visit India on valid visas.
Mr Stanekzai’s positivity is welcome. No doubt his decision to come to the Indian embassy would have been preceded by spadework on the Indian side, which is a sign of realism on the part of New Delhi. It is facile to say that the political leader of the former insurgents may be well-disposed toward India because he trained in this country as a military cadet in the 1980s. But New Delhi needs to ascertain that Mr Stanekzai represents all sections of the Taliban leadership when he pronounces himself on India, not least because the senior political figure’s observations are likely to discomfit Pakistan, and for that matter China.
Taliban are still to form a government. They are constrained to seek international economic and political support for sheer survival, and are hence trying to show signs of changing, though not wholly. Even China and Russia are likely to be wary of international terrorism being possibly cosseted by at least sections of the Taliban. Hence, Mr Stanekzai’s security-related assurances to India will likely soothe nerves in other key capitals also, and will not be viewed as being exclusive for India. This is just as well.
In a statement last Saturday, and subsequently in an interview to an Indian media group, Mr Stanekzai spoke of maintaining good “economic”, “political”, “trade”, and “cultural” relations with India. For Afghanistan, this is logical. But this is not likely to go down well with Pakistan, the Taliban’s key benefactor over the past two decades.
It will be interesting to see how the Taliban address complex challenges such as these. As for India, it may be worthwhile to initiate early steps on the trade or cultural side with Afghanistan even before the question of according recognition to a Taliban or a Taliban-led Kabul comes up. That is a later thing anyway, after a government is formed.