Republic of India was the only South
Asian country to recognise the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
in the 1980s, its relations
were diminished during the Afghan civil wars and the rule of the
Islamist Taliban in the 1990s.[1] India aided the overthrow of the Taliban and
became the largest regional provider of humanitarian and reconstruction aid.
India's
influence in Afghanistan waned in the 1990s after Pakistan-backed Taliban rose
to power. During this period, New Delhi provided
assistance to the anti-Taliban resistance, the Northern Alliance, comprised
mostly of Tajik and other non-Pashtun ethnic groups, according to a 2003
Council Task Force report. After the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, New
Delhi reached out to renew ties with Kabul.
IMPORTANCE to India:
Afghanistan holds strategic importance for India as New Delhi
seeks friendly allies in the neighborhood, and because it is a gateway to energy-rich Central
Asian states such as Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. "India is looking to ensure that
other countries in the region favor or at least are neutral on its conflict
with Pakistan,
IMPORTANCE to Afghan:
Afghanistan, on the other hand, he says,
looks to India as "a
potential counterweight in its relationship with Pakistan."
Relations:
In January 2009, India completed
construction of the Zaranj-Delaram
highway in southwest Afghanistan near the Iranian border; it is building
Afghanistan's new
parliament building set for completion by 2011; it is constructing the Salma Dam power project
in Herat Province; it has trained Afghan police officers, diplomats and civil
servants; and it has provided support in the areas of health, education,
transportation, power, and telecommunications.
India hopes its investment in the Iranian
port at Chabahar will allow it to gain trading access to Afghanistan, bypassing
Pakistan. Pakistan
currently allows Afghanistan transit rights for its exports to India, but does
not allow goods to move from India to Afghanistan.
But soft power is "India's greatest
asset" in Afghanistan, writes Shashi Tharoor,Thier says the positive thing
about such influence is that it engages the population in a way that takes into
account what they want.
Background
·
Strong historical ties
·
India was the only South Asian nation to
recognize the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
·
During Soviet presence in Afghanistan, India
sheltered over 60000 Afghan refuguees.
·
Tumultuous times during the regime of Taliban.
Diplomatic ties were snapped.
·
Re-establishment of diplomatic ties after the
overthrow of Taliban in 2001
Table 1
|
|
India’s Concern (India’s interests in Af)
|
Afghanistan’s concern
|
|
Security
|
Security and stability of the region after the withdrawal of Western
forces
|
Afghanistan looks to India as ‘a potential counterweight in its
relationship with Pakistan’
|
|
|
Security of Indian personnel. Embassy bombings. Killing of personnel
involved in reconstruction work.
|
|
|
|
Pakistan’s growing influence in the
region
|
|
|
Energy security
|
Afghanistan is key to our energy security because of geopolitical
reasons. It is a gateway to energy-rich Central Asian states such as
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan
|
|
Table 2
|
Binders
|
Separators/Challenges
|
|
Significant cultural and economic links. Films and music of India
popular in Af and products such as carpets, nuts and fruit are exported to
India.
|
|
|
India’s
popularity in Af high due to the no-strings attached economic assistance
|
|
Table 3
|
Positives
|
Negatives
|
|
1.
Lot of Indian developmental projects in
Afghanistan. India provides technical and monetary assistance. India is the
largest regional donor to Afghan reconstruction
|
|
|
2.
|
|
|
3.
MMS’ visit to Af in May 2011
|
|
|
4.
Af’s entry into SAARC
|
|
|
5.
The two countries have declared that Strategic
Partnership should be developed between the two countries
|
|
|
6.
TAPI may promote regional integration. Af to
earn about $500 mn in transit fee in TAPI.
|
|
|
7.
India implemented Small Development Projects (SDPs) scheme
for grass-root level development in all parts of Afghanistan
|
|
|
8.
India has promised to increase the total
development commitment to Afghanistan to USD 2 bn
|
|
|
9.
Bilateral trade of $358 mn in 2007-08
|
|
|
10.
India has opened consulates in Herat,
Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandhar
|
|
India’s development partnership with Afghanistan
·
Aims to build indigenous Afghan capacities and institutions
for an effective state system that is able to deliver goods and services
required by the Afghan people
·
Scholarship programme for Afghan students
·
Training courses aimed at skill development
·
New programmes on capacity building in the agricultural sector
o
Agricultural research programmes
·
Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Care
·
Adopted 100 villages
·
Rebuilding of Habibia school
·
Agreements
o
Small devt prog
o
Healthcare
o
Agricultural research
·
National Institutional Building Project (NIBP)
o
UNDP programme
o
India is a donor
o
NIBP follows an integrated and structured
approach to capacity development
·
Some projects
o
Zaranj-Delaram highway in SW Afghanistan near
the Iranian border
o
Afghanistan’s new parliament building set for
completion by 2011
o
Salma Dam power project in Herat Province
·
India bidding for Hagijak mines (Iron ore) in Bamiyan province
·
Cultural reconstruction programme
o
Bamiyan Buddhas
Strategic Partnership
Agreement
·
Signed in Oct 2011
·
India will mentor the Afghan security forces as
they gear up to deal with the drawdown of foreign forces by 2014
·
SPA also spells out trade and economic
cooperation in much greater detail, covering aspects ranging from assisting
Afghanistan in developing trading routes to exploring for hydrocarbons and
mineral ores the country is abundantly endowed with
·
Both countries will try to operationalize trilateral
MoU signed with Iran to end Afghanistan’s landlocked isolation and dependence
on Pakistan to reach the sea
·
Challenges ahead for India in Af
·
Taliban’s reach and influence has been growing
in the relatively calmer areas of the country
·
Defragmented nature of the polity
India’s role in Af in next few years
·
Washington has indicated that it may withdraw
its troops in Afghanistan by 2014
·
Challenges after withdrawal
o
Resurgence of Taliban
o
Peace and security
o
Economic and political development of the country
·
Political stability of the region is in India’s
interest
·
Economic ties with Afghanistan can be beneficial
for India
o
India can sell technologies for development to
Af
o
Bag contracts for re-construction
·
Engage all major ethnic groups. It would be in
the long term interest of India to evenly develop its relations with diverse
ethnic groups of Afghanistan.
·
India’s Afghan policy is constrained by various
factors
o
Geographical limitations
o
Uncertainty in the US approach
·
India’s likely options
o
To remain engaged and continue with
reconstruction assistance
§
Focus on capacity building and human resource
development
o
Need for border engagement
o Strengthening the Afghan
National Security Forces
o
Gauging varied Afghan perception
§
Important for India to constantly factor in the
varying views and perceptions of the various Afghan factions and groupings.
Af-Pak
Table 4
|
India
|
Pakistan
|
Afghanistan
|
|
Porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan needs to be controlled
|
Thinks that India is trying to encircle it by gaining influence in
Afghanistan
|
|
|
|
Promotes Taliban because it offers the best counterbalance against
India
|
|
|
|
Pakistan’s support to Taliban has led to increased instability in
Afghanistan
|
|
|
|
Pakistan’s tribal areas along Afghan border are safe haven for
terrorists
|
|
After
US leaves, Af-Pak-India trilateral relations will become important.
Transformation of Pakistan-Afghanistan ties can only take place in an
overall context of improved Pakistani-Indian relations that enhances Pakistani
confidence in its regional position
Bonn Conference 2011
·
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