Afghanistan: India Steps up Diplomatic Effort
STORIES, ANALYSES, EXPERT VIEWS
India has stepped up diplomatic engagement with key countries with stakes in the region, to mitigate adverse effects of the Taliban taking over Afghanistan.
Underlining concerns about Pakistan-based terrorist groups, India extended its hand to deal with the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, and also called upon the Taliban — without mentioning or criticising them — to ensure an inclusive governance structure in the country.
After discussing the situation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Tuesday. The two leaders “agreed to form a permanent bilateral channel for consultations” on this issue, the Russian government said in a statement.
“They expressed intention to enhance cooperation on countering the dissemination of the terrorist ideology and the drug threat emanating from the territory of Afghanistan,” the Russian statement said.
The two sides noted the “importance of coordinated efforts” for the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan, ensuring security in the region as a whole, it said.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the leaders discussed the “unfolding situation in Afghanistan and its implications for the region and the world”. They agreed it was important for the strategic partners to work together, and instructed their senior officials to remain in touch.
Meeting of the NSAs of the BRICS
Later on Tuesday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval chaired a meeting of the NSAs of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) countries, where India “raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and activities of groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed which enjoy State support and threaten peace and security”.
The meeting of the “High Representatives Responsible for National Security” — attended by Russia’s General Nikolai Patrushev and China’s Yang Jiechi among others — “reviewed the regional and global political and security scenario with particular reference to current developments in Afghanistan”, among other issues.
They also discussed Iran, West Asia, and the Gulf, and emerging threats to national security, such as cyber security. Other items on the agenda were cooperation among law enforcement agencies, health safety and healthcare, and counter-terrorism, the MEA said.
BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan: The meeting also adopted and recommended the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan for consideration by the BRICS Summit. The Action Plan aims to further strengthen existing mechanisms of cooperation in areas such as financing and combating terrorism, misuse of the Internet by terrorists, curbing travel of terrorists, border controls, protection of soft targets, information sharing, capacity building, and regional and international cooperation.
Without referring directly to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the MEA statement said that “considerable attention was paid to the heightened risk of growth of illegal drug production and trafficking in the region. It was agreed that concerned agencies in BRICS countries will enhance their cooperation in this area”.
Special session of the UN Human Rights Council
In Geneva, at the 31st special session of the UN Human Rights Council on the serious human rights concerns and situation in Afghanistan, India’s Permanent Representative Indra Mani Pandey said, “Stability in Afghanistan is linked to the peace and security of the region. We hope that the situation in Afghanistan does not pose a challenge to its neighbours and its territory is not used by terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to threaten any other country.”
India was, however, careful and calibrated about the Taliban — it did not name or condemn the hardline movement in its statement at the UNHRC.
“We are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving security situation in Afghanistan and we continue to call upon parties concerned to maintain law and order, ensure the safety and security of all Afghan nationals, UN personnel and diplomatic staff members, and observe human rights and international humanitarian law in all circumstances,” India said.
Pandey said India “stands ready to assist our friends from Afghanistan in fulfilling their aspirations… We hope that the situation stabilises soon, and the parties concerned address the humanitarian and security issues.”
India also said it hoped that there is in Afghanistan “an inclusive and broad based dispensation which represents all sections of Afghan society”.
India can leverage human rights issue
From the Indian statement at the UN Human Rights Council, Radha Kumar opines “it appears that the Modi administration might contribute to humanitarian aid for Afghanistan under Taliban rule, so long as the Taliban adhere to the red line on anti-India terrorist groups. The same levers — aid, the chair of the UN sanctions committee and support for an inclusive Afghan government — can also be used for evacuation, pressure on human rights and, down the line, trade access to Central Asia. Wait and watch cannot, surely, entail losing the gains made with Central Asia through common concerns over Afghan security and the stability and economic growth of its neighbours. At present, the message we are sending out to these countries is one of retreat. This is not a message we can afford to send, when China and Pakistan are cementing their power in the region, along with their alliance against India. Nor can we afford to alienate the Taliban to the point that they afford sanctuary to anti-India groups. Engage and expand your leverage is more practical than retreat and let China and Pakistan gain ground…….”
India should use its clout in the UNSC
Manjeev Singh Puri (retired diplomat who served as India’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations) suggests India must use its membership of the UNSC and chair of the 1988 committee to influence developments in Afghanistan.
The Taliban needs legitimacy and recognition. This is also important to its handlers, Pakistan, its patron, China and also the US. “For India, herein lies a key opportunity to use its leverage to engage with the major stakeholders around the Taliban, other than those who are, by design, inimical to us. While this certainly includes the US, with which we are in close consultations, our ambit must encompass Russia, Iran, the Gulf, and central Asian countries. India has often spoken of multi-alignment — Afghanistan is the best case in point to practise it.”
