 "How India chose pragmatism over ideology by engaging with Taliban 2.0")
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, who could have imagined that the Narendra Modi government would engage with it, given the Taliban’s past hostile behaviour towards India? Most strategic experts and geopolitical analysts would have been hard-pressed to envisage such a move. However, defying the established norms and practices, the Modi government adopted a carefully calibrated approach from the outset, opening the channels of communication with Taliban 2.0.
This approach underscores his strategic foresight, adaptability, and pragmatic approach in dealing with complex geopolitical realities. Moreover, in my research article entitled “Beyond Ideology: Narendra Modi’s Pragmatic Foreign Policy Approach,” I have extensively highlighted this aspect of his leadership with substantive evidence and illustrations. Modi’s foreign policy has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to transcend ideological barriers and adopt pragmatic solutions to the 21st-century geopolitical challenges.
India’s Constructive Role in Afghanistan
India has historically played a constructive role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, contributing to both its large-scale and high-impact community developmental projects. Its developmental efforts include the building of hospitals, schools, dams, connectivity projects, and power stations, covering all 34 provinces. It has also constructed the Parliament Building there. India’s investments have not only improved Afghanistan’s physical infrastructure but have also greatly aided in the capacity building and human resource development of Afghan nationals.
Even after the Taliban’s takeover, New Delhi continued its humanitarian efforts, supplying covid vaccines, other medical supplies, and food aid. Initially, humanitarian assistance was sent through Pakistan, but when transit access was denied, New Delhi used the Chabahar port in Iran to provide continuous assistance. Up to August 2023, India has sent 47,500 million tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan, and alone in January 2022, it donated 500,000 covid vaccine doses to Afghanistan. For the last two decades, it has spent over $3 billion in Afghanistan.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMoreover, in the Union budget of 2023-24, India has earmarked a separate budgetary allocation of Rs 200 crore ($24.3 million) for Afghanistan. It is also supporting the Afghanistan national cricket team through various initiatives, including training and capacity-building programs. This year also many Afghan cricket players have been picked by many IPL franchises in India.
New Delhi has also recently pledged to provide more humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including food aid, medical supplies, and other essential assistance. This persistent dedication has produced significant goodwill in the streets of Afghanistan for India, who view India with a deep sense of respect and fondness. This warmth is evident in how Indian people, when they travel to Afghanistan, are welcomed and respected there.
In contrast, despite their extended presence and financial investments in Afghanistan, the United States and other regional powers have struggled to gain widespread public support and acceptance. The US has spent an estimated $2.3 trillion in Afghanistan over a 20-year period (2001–2021), according to a report by the ‘Costs of War Project’ at Brown University. However, the majority of this spending has gone into military operations. America’s role is viewed very negatively by the Afghan population, a stark difference from the goodwill India enjoys.
India’s Engagement with the Taliban
India’s engagement with the Taliban predates the recent formal meeting at Doha between India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, and Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaq. Following the Taliban takeover, New Delhi started engaging with the Taliban, maintained a calibrated approach, and dispatched a technical mission team to Afghanistan. It kept communication channels open while providing humanitarian assistance.
The latest meeting marks the formalisation of this engagement, moving from an opaque and informal to a more formal engagement and transparent dialogue, highlighting New Delhi’s pragmatic approach to secure its interests. This recent formalised shift of India’s engagement with this regime in Afghanistan can be explained through two primary lenses: regional security dynamics and the changing global geopolitical landscape.
The Regional Security Context
Peace and stability in Afghanistan are in India’s security interests, as any instability in this country has the potential to spread throughout the region, exacerbating security challenges. A peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan aligns with India’s long-term strategic vision for South Asia and its broader regional security framework.
Moreover, China’s growing strategic inroads in Afghanistan have caused uneasiness in New Delhi. As part of its calculated move, Beijing is heavily investing in Afghanistan’s infrastructure, connectivity, and mining projects, expanding its influence. Although it is a win-win situation for both countries, as Afghanistan too is gaining economically, this is expanding China’s strategic penetration in this region. As a result, New Delhi’s strategic outreach to the Taliban regime is also motivated by a desire to limit and balance China’s growing presence and prevent Afghanistan from becoming Beijing’s sphere of influence. Additionally, the Taliban regime doesn’t want to put all of its eggs in one basket and wants to diversify its relationships, underscoring its pragmatic approach.
Furthermore, the rapidly deteriorating ties between Kabul and Islamabad after the recent Pakistan airstrike in Paktika province of Afghanistan, which killed more than 46 civilians, have created an opportunity for India to increase its engagement with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Moreover, by keeping connections with the Taliban, New Delhi wants to ensure that it remains a relevant participant in defining Afghanistan’s future while also protecting its own regional security interests. New Delhi has overcome the ideological overtures in its engagement with the Taliban, as this time it has taken a pragmatic approach.
Equally significant is the evolving nature of the Taliban itself. The Taliban 2.0 has demonstrated a more pragmatic approach distinct from the ideological stance of its earlier incarnation. Moreover, the current Taliban leadership has shown territorial, rather than expansionist, ambitions and has repeatedly invited New Delhi to reengage and resume developmental projects in Afghanistan.
Since its takeover, the Taliban has avoided actions that would harm India’s national interests. This pragmatic shift in the Taliban’s approach has further encouraged New Delhi to speed up its engagement, recognising the mutual benefits of collaboration in fostering stability and development in Afghanistan. Besides, the Taliban has its strategic interests and seeks closer engagement with New Delhi to secure those interests in the changing regional security dynamics.
Iran is also a significant actor in this equation, as New Delhi’s more active engagement with the Taliban could lead to greater use of the Chabahar port, a strategic port of India in Iran, in improving regional connectivity and increasing ties between Afghanistan, Iran, and India. This triangular relationship is critical to ensuring regional stability and development.
Moreover, India’s greater engagement with the Taliban also holds the potential to moderate its behaviour, particularly on sensitive issues such as girls’ education and minority rights. By maintaining a constructive relationship, India can serve as an influential partner, encouraging the Taliban to adopt policies that reflect inclusivity and societal progress. The Taliban, which seeks greater international acceptability and recognition, is likely to take such concerns seriously as part of its larger efforts to establish itself as a legitimate authority in Afghanistan. India’s development assistance and ongoing participation could help to encourage gradual changes in Afghan society, opening the door for more comprehensive reforms.
The Global Geopolitical Context
As the world prepares for Donald Trump to assume office on January 20, the global geopolitical scene is seeing a renewed shift toward transactional and pragmatic diplomacy. Trump’s leadership style, marked by a focus on a zero-sum approach over ideological or value-based considerations, is expected to reshape international engagements. This approach has already begun influencing how nations, including India, navigate complex geopolitical challenges like Afghanistan.
Trump’s impending administration reinforces a global trend toward pragmatic partnerships, where strategic goals take precedence over traditional constraints tied to democratic principles or ideological alignments. This environment has provided India with the flexibility to deepen its engagement with the Taliban government in Afghanistan without the burden of value-laden expectations. In this changing geopolitical landscape, New Delhi’s pragmatic approach is consistent with a larger worldwide emphasis on pragmatic, interest-driven foreign policy tactics.
Conclusion
The Narendra Modi government’s engagement with the Taliban regime demonstrates a more pragmatic approach to India’s foreign policy. It illustrates the capacity to pursue India’s regional and international objectives while adjusting to shifting geopolitical realities. As India formalises its engagement with the Taliban, it is clear that New Delhi’s strategy is driven by long-term strategic objectives such as maintaining peace and stability in Afghanistan, strengthening regional cooperation, and protecting India’s security and economic interests.
Imran Khurshid is a visiting research fellow at the International Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
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