New Delhi: Amid the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan that saw thousands of civilians losing lives ever since the Taliban takeover, as a placatory signal to India, Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Stanekzai has said India is "very important for this subcontinent" and that the group wants to continue Afghanistan’s political, economic and cultural ties with India. Experts here say that the Taliban is playing the ‘India card’ to get recognition.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Former Ambassador Jitendra Tripathi said, “Taliban making overtures to India is indicative of the fact that the group knows it can play the India card and try to gain recognition. In this region, if India recognizes the Taliban, it will make positive differences for the group. If India gets an assurance from the Taliban that no harm will be done to its investments or its nationals staying in Afghanistan then there is no harm for the Indian side in approaching the group”.
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This statement by the Taliban leader comes at a time when the US military has completed the withdrawal of its forces and also when India has evacuated all its diplomatic staff from the war-torn country after the Taliban takeover.
India has not reacted to Stanakzai’s overture yet but it has taken the Taliban message with utmost seriousness. Apparently, India has reached out to the leadership but will not publicly rush to concede any of this.
However, with the return of the radical Islamists pushing the country to the brink, there are questions as to how India should deal with the Taliban.
Tripathi said that although India has maintained a ‘wait and watch policy on Afghanistan, it has been in indirect touch with the Taliban since 2018 and somewhat in direct touch early this year.
Pointing out India’s External Affairs Minister’s visit to various countries including Iran, ‘a quiet visit’ to meet with the Taliban in Doha or the visit to the UN to discuss the Afghanistan crisis, Tripathi said India is in touch with the Taliban but the government cannot and should not reveal how direct or indirect talks have been because these are policy prerogative.
