Page 54 - Tehelka-May18

column
ASIAN DRAMA
Syed
NooruzzamaN
The columnist — former
Deputy Editor of The
Tribune, Chandigarh —
specialises in foreign
affairs. With a career
spanning 41 years, he
keeps close watch on
issues related to South
Asian countries. The
views expressed are
personal
54-55 Column-Nooruzzama.indd 2-3
Foreign aFFairs
Going gets tough for
Indians in Afghanistan
A spurt in suicide bombings and incidents of abduction, including
the disappearance of seven Indian engineers, indicate that
the ground reality in the strife-torn Afghanistan remains dangerous
ndians are under extreme threat government employees for extortion
in Afghanistan. The number of purposes. The abductions of foreign • Violence
those killed in extremist violence companies’ employees are sometimes rules Even
in Afghanistan during the period cases of mistaken identity. This may religious
from January to March in 2018 be true in the case of abducted Indian places are
I was 763, which is much higher engineers too. being attacked
than the casualties in the first three Three, some of the extremist groups by extremist
months last year, according to the UN are on the payrolls of Pakistan’s external elements in
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The intelligence network, the ISI, which uses
picture that emerges gets more upset- pro-Pakistan Taliban factions to create a Afghanistan
ting if seen in the context of the Taliban scare among Indian officials and work-
groups’ rejection of the latest offer of ers with a view to getting India-assisted to this, hardly a little more than Kabul regime. In such a scenario, US presence becoming negligible
talks by Kabul’s Ashraf Ghani govern- development projects delayed, stalled or one-fourth area of the country is it would be almost impossible to in these areas. With the US-Iran
ment with the US focus having shifted abandoned. Four, most Taliban factions in full control of the US-backed prevent them from recapturing enmity set to become worse in the
from the Afghan-Pak region to the are anti-India because of New Delhi government in Kabul whereas in power, which they had before they wake of the US withdrawal from
Korean peninsula. being in the good books of the govern- 2017 three-fourths of Afghanistan were dethroned by the US-backed the nuclear deal with Iran, Teheran
There is clearly a more serious threat ment in Kabul as also owing to India’s territory was free from the Taliban’s Northern Alliance. would be too willing to welcome
to Indian interests under the prevailing better relations with the US nowadays. influence. The situation in Afghani- There are strong indications the CPEC project reaching Iranian
circumstances. Over 150 engineers and So, it is a case of double whammy for stan is getting complicated with the that China and Russia may begin to territory. Of late, Russia too has
others working in Afghanistan need to New Delhi. entry of the IS and the increased in- play a major role in Afghanistan in been seen to be placating Taliban
be provided adequate security so that India faces a serious threat to its terest being shown there by China the coming years. China, which has factions owing to the strengthening
they feel secure to accomplish the tasks interests in Afghanistan as well as in and Russia. Of late, religious places been working on the idea of extend- of anti-US sentiment in Pakistan,
assigned to them. It has been confirmed Iran mainly because of the change in US like mosques associated with the ing the China-Pakistan Economic Afghanistan and Iran.
that the latest abduction incident is the policies under President Donald Trump. Hazaras (Shias) have been under at- Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, Where does India stand in this
handiwork of a Taliban faction as was The Taliban factions, which have reject- tack by extremists belonging to the might have devised a major plan scenario? Indian investments in Af-
the case with the abduction of an Indian ed the Ashraf Ghani government’s offer IS and Al-Qaida. Iran, which sympa- for the landlocked nation, Iran and ghanistan will be in jeopardy if the
female aid worker in 2016 who was re- of talks for their induction in the ruling thises with the Hazaras because of the Central Asian countries with the Taliban factions are back to power
leased after remaining in their captivity dispensation as they did it earlier too, the denominational factor, can- and the regime in Kabul changes
for 40 days. feel emboldened owing to the Trump not sit idle in such circumstances. its complexion. Keeping all these
Different kinds of calculations are administration’s new strategy for the Af- Targeting of Hazaras indirectly hits The situation factors in view, there is need for
being made in this regard. One, there is Pak region aimed at drastically reducing Teheran too as they try to find ref- having a fresh look at India’s Afghan
widespread poverty because of lack of the US involvement in Afghanistan. uge in Iran where they are always in Afghanistan policy. Cultivating such elements in
job opportunities and gainful eco- There is apparently a feeling in welcome as it could be seen when is getting Afghanistan as see a threat to their
nomic activity in Afghanistan which can Washington DC that the US has invested Afghans in lakhs left their home in national interests from Pakistan
make people indulge in such criminal billions of dollars in Afghanistan with the wake of the attack by the US-led complicated with and devising a strategy of coopera-
activities easily. Most of the Afghans are the loss of a number of US soldiers since NATO forces after 9/11. tive competition with China appear
illiterate or semi-literate and unskilled 9/11 but gained very little. It is, there- The Taliban factions, mostly the entry of the IS to be the need of the hour. India’s
and hence can go to any extent to earn fore, believed that there is no point in composed of Sunni tribes, today and the increased relations with Iran must also not be
a few bucks. Two, almost all the Taliban sticking to the old US strategy when it appear to be more confident allowed to suffer under all circum-
factions and other extremist groups has not resulted in the elimination of of achieving their two primary interest being stances as these can have a bearing
like the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaida the Taliban, its primary target. The writ targets: freeing Afghanistan from shown there by on our interests in Afghanistan.
are anti-government and, therefore, of the Taliban still runs in more than the remaining foreign (US) troops
are always on the lookout for abducting 50 per cent Afghan territory. Contrary and removing the West-supported China and Russia letters@tehelka.com
Tehelka / 31 may 2018 54 www.Tehelka.com Tehelka / 31 may 2018 55 www.Tehelka.com
17/05/18 3:56 PM