The Taliban in Afghanistan is reality now. The images and videos emanating from the conflict torn country are quite disturbing with people trying to feel the country for their lives. The takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban was never anticipated initially though it became a gradual reality in the last few years after Nato forces decided to leave the country. America spent nearly 2.80 trillion dollars, an amount that is a bit larger than India’s total size of economy-in Afghanistan, aiming to rebuild the country with a modern army and weed out the Taliban.
While America was yet to depart, the Taliban was already in Kabul’s presidential palace with the Afghanistan army some 300000 in size surrendering to Taliban fighters and ushering them the way to the provincial capitals one by one. What happened in the last one week was not anticipated by the US even and had set the target for its complete withdrawal by August 30, this year.
“Let’s be honest and clear, there was never a good time to leave Afghanistan,” Joe Biden, the president of America said after it airdropped 6000 troops in Afghanistan to evacuate its people. “I am the fourth president of America presiding over the war in Afghanistan. I didn’t want to befool my people and pass on this responsibility to the fifth president for my country. This could happen five years before or fifteen years later.”
Biden was not happy with the response of Afghanistan troops to the Taliban. He said the troops were best trained by America. “If they could not defend their country we were not there for nation building. It is for the people of Afghanistan to choose their future though we tried our level best to support them militarily to defend their country against Taliban,” he said in his speech.
Nevertheless, it is clear now that America is out from South Asia and the world is settling to a new political and strategic order. In the new scheme of polity with Taliban taking over Afghanistan, its immediate neighbours are expressing concerns over the security issues in the region. China and Pakistan have already decided to endorse the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Both the countries have said that they will acknowledge and work with any government chosen by the people of Afghanistan. Another immediate neighbor Iran is also endorsing Taliban and it is believed that the three countries have played an active role in ensuring America is defeated in Afghanistan and stood ostensibly by the Taliban.
The political observers believe that it is not only the military defeat that America tasted in Afghanistan, however, its moral standing in world affairs besides waging war on other countries in the name of “War on terror” will be questioned now by its allies who also lost billions of dollars all these years.
Now, the observers believe that in the coming times, India and the Middle East will be facing severe security challenges. India is yet to comment or endorse the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Over the past two decades in its Afghanistan reconstruction Programme, it spent nearly 14 billion dollars in various socioeconomic projects. But its outreach efforts don’t put it on the right side of the story.
With Taliban sharing cordial relations with Pakistan and China, both the hostile neighbours of India, it is apprehended that Pakistan may push the Taliban insurgents across the border to fight in Kashmir.
It will be in the present times, an all time high security challenge for the Modi government. Pakistan, which was engaged in Afghanistan and had guarded its western borders, will be minimizing the size of troops now and focusing on Loc with India. So it is troublesome for India.
“India must talk peace now or it shall face expansionism by China in coming times since the US cannot be a reliable strategic partner,” comments a renowned strategic expert, Pravin Swaheny.
Swaheny, since a long time, has been advocating India to review its relations with China and Pakistan instead of relying solely on unreliable strategic partner America.
The Indian political experts, however, believe that it is far more dangerous to the Taliban than what it was in 2002.
“They understand the power of social media. They talk responsibly and believe in information warfare. The present Taliban has power with brains unlike in the past,” said Major Gurav Arya. “That is why I say it is 100 times more dangerous than the previous Taliban.”
Meanwhile, India’s security grid has already prepared itself for the security challenges given the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
“The situation there is being closely monitored and India is ready for any eventuality,” (DG-BSF) S S Deswal told reporters in Jammu.
Experts believe that India needs to tighten its borders with Pakistan since it is more likely now it might persuade some sections of the Taliban group to enter Kashmir.
“Any peace in the region now will be directly proportional to the relations between India and Pakistan.”
