Understandably, India keeps its fingers crossed vis-à-vis its approach to the Taliban that is set to take over governance of Afghanistan. There is no clarity as to what this militant outfit would do and what its mission is in its Second Coming. For sure, all is not well within the Taliban hence days after the scheduled exit of the United States, the gun-wielders were not able to announce who would lead the new government. It is here that all eyes are glued to. The rag-tag group of militants, some of them closely linked to Pakistan, the Haqqani network that now claims it does not have much to do with Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban working at cross-purposes, the Northern Alliance on the other side of the spectrum, the resistance in the north-eastern province of Panjshir, the fight between the Doha-based Taliban leadership and the homegrown militants, and above all the spokes being put into the Taliban wheel by self-styled acting president Amrulla Saleh make the situation within Afghanistan quite fluid.
The Indian perspectives were reflected, nonetheless, in a discussion that India’s envoy to Qatar had with the Taliban political affairs head at the latter’s behest earlier this week — after the US quit the scene. India expects a guarantee from the emerging new power centre in Kabul that the soil of Afghanistan will not be used by the Pakistani ISI and other mischief-makers to interfere in the affairs of Kashmir Valley. A Taliban representative has admitted that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and the two must talk it out on their own. However, this, is not yet the official line of the Taliban. On the other hand, Al Qaeda with its roots also in Pakistan has sought to draw in Kashmir in the new scheme of things, saying the proposed Emirate – emerging governance system – should side with the Kashmiri Muslims. Also, the Islamic State (IS) that co-exists with Al Qaeda has as its basic motto a Global Umma, a world exclusively for Muslims and run by Muslims. This is easier said than done.
Whether in dealing with Pakistan or China or Afghanistan, India has aces up its sleeves. The divisions within the militants in Taliban will itself force the new Islamist regime there to adopt a realistic approach to all matters. A Taliban representative has stated as much: the world must leave it alone, and it would also avoid interfering in the affairs of others. This should be the way forward and good sense must prevail.
