How To Play The Kabul Game

India must explore non-Pak routes to send aid to Afghans, and give them visas

- Jayant Prasad

After Taliban’s victory, India has been repositioning its Afghanistanrelated diplomacy. A good place to start would be to activate in its practical playbook all that India has committed to do since the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Seven elements compose India’s approach: provide Afghan people humanitarian assistance; ensure that Afghan territory is not used to spread radicalism or terrorism; preserve the social and economic gains made over the past two decades; establish inclusive governance, with the representation of women and minorities; allow the United Nations to play an important role; implement the United Nations Security Council resolution 2593, and unified international response to the current situation.

Refashioning India’s policies vis-à-vis Afghanistan requires patient work. For this, exchanges with the regional countries are necessary, including with China and Pakistan. Until this happens, India cannot remain inactive. Although China declined to participate in the Delhi consultations of the regional National Security Advisers on November 10, it continues to exchange notes with India bilaterally on the situation in Afghanistan.

India has had a long engagement with both Russia and Iran in Afghanistan. India requires earnest efforts to revive such a regional entente. It has much in common with the Iranian position on Afghanistan and did well to revive the format of the regional security meetings that began in Tehran in 2018.