| ID | 185131 |
| Title Proper | Regaining Strategic Space |
| Other Title Information | the Way Forward for India in Afghanistan |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Ganaie, Reyaz Ahmad |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 can be treated as the most recent significant diplomatic and strategic setback for India. The Taliban’s ascendance forced India to undertake a hasty evacuation of its security and diplomatic personnel stationed in Afghanistan. Essentially, India severed diplomatic ties with Afghanistan. The Taliban takeover nullified India’s decades-long presence in Afghanistan. Can India afford to lose the goodwill it has earned in Afghanistan by not engaging with the Taliban? Or, should India take decisive steps in opening channels of communications with the ruling regime in Afghanistan so as to salvage a semblance of strategic presence. This paper argues that India’s policy of not engaging with the Taliban prior to the latterbecoming the de-facto government in Afghanistan was strategically myopic. New Delhi must not waste any more time in establishing meaningful contacts with the Taliban so that the positives of two decade-long engagement with Afghanistan are sustained and carried forward. |
| `In' analytical Note | World Focus Vol. 43, No.6; Jun 2022: p.86-90 |
| Journal Source | World Focus 2022-06 43, 6 |