India’s Afghan Trajectory: Challenges and Possibilities
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Abstract
Post-9/11, New Delhi has taken up a proactive role towards projecting its soft-power image by contributing towards reconstruction efforts and investing in energy projects in Afghanistan with the ultimate objective of gaining access to the Central Asian energy resources. However, in the absence of a military footprint and ability to effectively project hard power beyond Indian borders, India’s Afghan policy is likely to suffer. The paper outlines the needs and possibilities of a comprehensive engagement on the Afghan issue and argues that any initiative towards evolving a regional approach would require India to shed its traditional course of relying on great powers and obsession with bilateralism. It is noteworthy that Islamabad never enjoyed complete control over the radical Islamic groups and increased factions within the Taliban following the public announcement of Mullah Omar’s death has further weakened Pakistan’s control and enhanced the danger of ISIS making inroads into Afghanistan. This has the raised the possibility of India’s engagement with Pakistan multilaterally if not bilaterally. Furthermore, India under the leadership of Narendra Modi has begun the process of engaging regional powers like Russia and Iran in important areas of mutual interest. If this engagement continues and attempts are taken to engage China, Pakistan’s intransigence to engage India on the Afghan issues would be feeble and scope for multilateral engagement would be enhanced.
References
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Manoj Kumar Mishra, “Evolving A Coordinated Response to the Afghan Conundrum”, Eurasia Review, December 10, 2015.
Manoj Kumar Mishra, “Why Pakistan Should Cooperate with India to Seek a Stable Afghanistan”, Eurasia Review, December 13, 2015.
Manoj Kumar Mishra, “India’s Afghan Policy: Need for Robust Regional Engagement”, Eurasia Review, December 25, 2015.
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