Afghanistan is called the ‘Graveyard of Empires‘. It is called so because it requires herculean power to govern Afghanistan. Empires after empires have failed to completely rule this country and eventually, they died. Nations who have tried to pacify have failed miserably. The United States of America has been involved in Afghanistan for almost two decades now with no fruitful results. Taliban is at full force in Afghanistan and ISIS continues to expand.
Afghanistan is notorious for the difficulty present to conquer it. Firstly, it lies between the intersection of Central Asia, India, and Iran. Second, the physical terrain of Afghanistan is highly elevated. It is home to one of the highest and jagged mountains. Thirdly, because of the frequent invasion in the country, there is the presence of varied tribalism.
India- Afghanistan Relations
Afghanistan is India’s natural ally. From seeing as a strategic point of view, India is interested in fostering a strong relationship with Afghanistan. It is mainly due to two reasons. First, India wants to grow as a regional power. Second, to monitor and create assets to influence activities happening in Pakistan.
Afghanistan is rich in minerals. It owns a mineral wealth of about $1-3 trillion. As a result, India’s economic interests are fairly present in Afghanistan.
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What is Happening in Afghanistan Now?
History continues to repeat itself. As soon as The US Government announced that it is going to withdraw its army troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban claimed victory. When the Taliban stormed and took control over Kabul on August 15, Ashraf Ghani and his associates fled the country.
The Taliban-led country has announced the final evacuation date to be 31st August 2021. Till now, more than 80,000 people have been evacuated since August 14. Many Afghanis are staying at Kabul Airport in hopes of fleeing away from the repressed land.
Who are the Taliban?
- The Taliban means ‘students‘ in the Pashto language.
- They first emerged in northern Pakistan in the early 1990s.
- They are currently waging war within Afghanistan.
- The ideology of the Taliban includes the strict imposition of the ‘sharia’ law.
- The sharia law denies women any rights and is very brutal in terms of punishment.
Operation Devi Shakti
India has named the evacuation operation from Afghanistan ‘Operation Devi Shakti’. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, tweeted recently about the evacuation of 78 people. On 24th August 2021, India evacuated and brought back 78 people from Afghanistan. All the Evacuees reached New Delhi. Indian citizens stuck in Afghanistan and Afghan partners are being evacuated under a dwindling security situation. So far, India has evacuated via airlifting over 800 people.
Afghanistan Conclusion
In view of recent developments in Afghanistan, India has to review its policies regarding its relationship with Afghanistan. India will hold talks with the Taliban. The rise of the Taliban is a wake-up call for the world’s fight against terrorism. India has raised this issue many times in various meetings. It is a global war and is something in which the whole world is together.
