Can India help in improving Afghanistan's position?

Can India help in improving Afghanistan's position?

Introduction
India is currently in the middle of a political tussle between the US and Afghanistan. With concerns being raised about the Bilateral Security Agreement that the US wants the Afghani government to sign, India is placed in a position where it has to balance security concerns with strategic long term interests.

India cannot help in improving Afghanistan’s position unless it is assured that the stable government will come to power following the Afghani elections. While India has provided training to Afghani soldiers in Indian establishments, the foreign office is currently contemplating how to approach further relations with this nation, following the position taken by the United States.

Viewpoint
• India is one of the largest democracies in Asia and it has the task of maintaining cordial relations with all its neighbouring countries. While Afghanistan is an important neighbour, it is vital that the Indian foreign office only take steps towards furthering the relationship after ascertaining the nature of the government that will form after the upcoming Afghani elections.

• India has the right to be cautious. There could be a very different type of government in Afghanistan following the elections. After so many instances of terrorism on the Indian soil, our nation should be wary of any government that supports the activities of militants.

In case the next government in Afghanistan has a positive view of Pakistan’s espionage activities and the issue of terror links, India will be at a huge disadvantage.

It is important that India refrains from offering any irretrievable support such as arms and ammunitions to Afghani soldiers unless the outcome of the elections is very clear.

• India has spent a considerable amount of money already on supporting social welfare initiatives and establishing infrastructural facilities in Afghanistan. We are at the cusp of a possible regime change in Afghanistan. India must not take hasty decisions or offer further commitments without assurance that the stability of our nation is not compromised in any way.

• The Indian government has a responsibility to 1.2 billion citizens. It is answerable to the people because India is a democracy. Therefore, the role of India in influencing Afghanistan must be tempered by considerations such as who will retain power in the upcoming elections.

• The bilateral security agreement which has to be signed by the Karzai government is still under consideration. India must not provide more incentives to Afghanistan for signing the agreement for the simple reason that it can backfire if the next government is not in agreement with issues such as the presence of NATO troops on Afghani soil.

In such a case, the Indian government will be placed in the unenviable position of having supplied arms and amenities to this nation which will be used by another government that may not be sensitive to India’s needs.

Conclusion
Designing foreign policy is a bit like crystal gazing. You have to watch for signs before you make a conclusion. India would do well to refrain from offering significant commitments before the elections occur in Afghanistan.

This would be in concordance with national interests. Our hardworking diplomats and political leaders will take the right decision once the election results have been declared. India should take all aspects of the situation in Afghanistan into account before acting conclusively on the matter.

The extent to which the US are successful in ramping up the pressure and getting the bilateral security agreement signed will influence the direction India’s foreign policy will take in the coming months with respect to Afghanistan.