India’s Evolving Policy Contours towards Post-2014 Afghanistan

Abstract

Much speculation abounds on India’s evolving policy towards post-2014 Afghanistan. While India’s aid-only policy in post-2001 Afghanistan has been criticized for piggy backing on the US military efforts, it has generated domestic debate, given the vulnerabilities its projects and personnel face in Afghanistan. The debate is bound to grow more intense as Afghanistan prepares for the inteqal (transition), and many countries including India need to indulge in tactical policy manoeuvring and readjustment in the light of the receding international military footprint by 2014. As the hasty announcements of withdrawal, largely perceived as exit by the Afghans and the regional powers, is pushing the country yet again to the maxims of uncertainty, New Delhi will have to prepare itself for a host of scenarios that may befall on the war-torn country after 2014. With Western countries heading for egress, can India consolidate or build on its decade-long gains through bilateral, institutional and regional cooperation beyond 2014. In the transformational decade (2014–2024), its policy markers in Afghanistan, however, has to navigate through the potentially challenging options of securing its own strategic, security and economic interests, averting a civil war or takeover by extremist forces in Afghanistan, balancing its ties with the difficult neighbours and preventing great power competition in the region.

Mulling the Contours of India’s Taliban Policy: Past, Present and Future Prospects

“…So did relations between India and Afghanistan. While India’s response to these interventions was muted, it did raise objections to the militarisation of the region with increasing insecurity and violation of sovereignty (D’Souza, 2013). Nonetheless, relations between the two states continued till they were disrupted by events from 1990s onwards.…”

“…It strengthened diplomatic engagement and security cooperation (training Afghan intelligence and security personnel) and focused its attention on infrastructure development and capacity building: engaging in the construction of symbolic institutions such as the parliament, but also key trade infrastructure such as the highway to Chabahar port in Iran, Salma dam, roads and highways, electrical infrastructure, schools and hospitals. During Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kabul in 2005, India showed its inclination to provide more meaningful support to minor projects that would have more of an impact on the lives of ordinary citizens in the sectors of health, education and women’s empowerment (D’Souza, 2013). According to D’Souza, Indian assistance was unique in that the Indian government worked with the governmental institutions in Afghanistan and sought to strengthen their capabilities, rather than through a parallel network of international organisations structure that was the dominant mode of assistance by Western states.…”

“…For now, an Afghanistan led by the Taliban, and surrounding regional and global powers are in the unenviable situation of having to negotiate and contend with each other to re-establish the boundaries of engagement. And negotiate they must for reasons that may be specific to the states or the region, though these will include security, balancing, terrorism, narcotics trade, humanitarian crisis, discontents of civil war and commercial engagement (D’Souza, 2013).…”

An Analysis of India’s Soft Power Policy in Afghanistan

“…Zaranj–Delaram Highway: The aim of the construction of a $150 million and 218-kilometre highway from Zaranj to Delaram was to enable the movement of goods and services both within Afghanistan as well as to the Iranian port of Chabahar (D’Souza, 2013, 2016; Thakur, 2012; Venkatshamy & George, 2012). The highway enables Afghanistan to have access to the sea via Iran and, at the same time, provides a shorter route for Indian goods to reach Afghanistan (Pant, 2010b, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, under the SDPs programme, India has assisted Afghan women groups in Herat and Balkh provinces through self-employment generation schemes and capacity building. D’Souza (2013, 2016) points out that Indian policy aimed to promote women’s participation in microeconomic sectors such as marketing, food processing, nursery plantation and garment making.…”