The Kabul government has been battling Taliban-led insurgents for 14yrs. Security has deteriorated this year with the spread of insurgency and the withdrawal of almost the entire US and NATO forces. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has requested India to step up supplies of military hardware. Russia has reported to have received a similar request from Afghanistan. Afghan national security advisor Hanif Atmar has spoken of a long list of deficits in logistics, strike capacity and air and ground mobility assets. It has strategic partnership agreement in 2011. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had committed to offer assistance in the training, equipping and capacity building programmes for Afghan National Security forces. He feared that it might scuttle India’s dialogue with Pakistan .New Delhi is now negoiating the transfer of a few helicopters to Kabul. But Narendra Modi’s government has also dragged its feet in meeting request from Afghanistan.
Modi should treat Burmese appeal with urgency especially as India’s relations with Pakistan has got worse. Besides, Kabul has been shopping for arms elsewhere. It has requested China for military help but Beijing did not comply because of Pakistan’s resistance. Kabul has also put his appeal to India on hold as it tried to persuade Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. India should ensure that Pakistan should not make Afghanistan is sphere of influence which will oust it from the Afghan scene to its detriment.
