India should lead in sending peacekeeping forces to Afghanistan to avoid flare-up: Expert

International Think Tank expert Dr Suvro Kamal Dutta said that India should form a joint peacekeeping force with the Central Asian countries, the National Elite Force of Iran and the Indian army, Tajik army, Uzbek army. He said that they all can come together collectively and play the role of peacemaker in Afghanistan so that things are safe and secure. An interview by Chandrakala Choudhury, Senior Correspondent, ETV Bharat.

New Delhi:In anexclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, international Think Tank expert and political thinker, Dr Suvro Kamal Dutta, said, “If there is an attempt to form a peacekeeping force by the international community after the completion of the outcome of the Doha Round, in my understanding, India should take a lead in this. If India could send a peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka under the IPKF (Indian peacekeeping force) then what prevents us from sending a peacekeeping force to Afghanistan? Because if there is a flare-up then there will be a domino effect of that and the spillover effect of that will be on Kashmir also, which is very dangerous".

The whole situation might explode and if there is a spillover effect in Central Asia, Iran as well as India, Pakistan would be very happy. And we cannot allow that, therefore, in my understanding, if there is any decision that there has to be a peacekeeping force as such by the international community, India should take a lead in this, he pointed out.

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India should form a joint peacekeeping force with the Central Asian countries, the National Elite Force of Iran and the Indian army, Tajik army, Uzbek army and they all can come together collectively and play the role of peacemaker in Afghanistan so that things are safe and secure, he added.

President Biden’s decision to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan has come with a huge risk and concern for Afghanistan. The situation is turning volatile in the war-torn country as the Taliban forces push ahead with military offensiveness across the country to take over after the US troops withdraw completely.

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Therefore, if the Taliban possibly achieve triumph then that would not only just threaten India’s diplomatic stakes in Afghanistan but for other countries as well in Central Asia, South Asia region. India has major stakes in Afghanistan and the country is strategically important for India. Over the years, both countries have built a rock-solid relationship and India has invested around $3 billion in various projects in Afghanistan-including dams, roads and infrastructure.

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