India can not afford to run away from Afghanistan now.
If pursuit of national interest is a valid goal, then there can be no two ways about the validity of Indian stakes in a peaceful and moderate Afghanistan. Most commentators in India shirk from stating the need for India to be bold and upfront about being involved in Afghanistan, but some officials of the Karzai government have no such compunctions.
Says Moridian Dawood, advisor to the Afghan foreign minister, “India seems apologetic about its presence. It’s a regional player and must behave like one, instead of insisting on a benign presence with a penchant for staying in the background.”[Outlook]
This blogger is certain that Indian decision-makers do subscribe to the Outlook magazine. But just in case if they don’t, they must get hold of the latest issue lest they miss out on this timely advice from Moridian Dawood.
Says Dawood, “I don’t believe this is the end-game. But India, which enjoys so much popular support among Afghans, must have the stamina and patience to stay the course. It can’t afford to run away.”[Outlook]
And Dawood is perhaps right about his appreciation of the end-game in Afghanistan. Contrary to common belief in the region, if Robert Gates is to be trusted, July 2011 was nothing more than signal from Obama to Karzai’s Afghan government to step-up.
President Barack Obama’s strategy calls for the coalition to begin turning over security responsibility to Afghan security forces in July 2011, depending on conditions on the ground.
“I think this is a several-year process,” Gates said. “The president wanted to send a clear signal … to the Afghans that they also need to step up into this fight.”[Defense.gov]
Oh, it is another matter that Karzai misread the “clear signal” from Obama and has instead started to step-down from the fight. He has since opened public negotiations with all shades of Afghan Taliban, tried to engage Pakistan and almost given up on the US. Similarly Pakistan, as Shekhar Gupta explains in the Indian Express, is behaving “as if Brand Pakistan or its strategic currency will go out of fashion the moment the military part of the Af-Pak project is over.”
As most of these stakeholders are playing a high-stakes, short-term game in Afghanistan, it is all the more reason for India to stay the course in Afghanistan. Staying on — against heavy odds, and despite significant material and physical costs — will pay India rich dividends in the future. In case of any doubt, New Delhi can do no worse than remember that old Persian saying: This too shall pass.
“Rich dividends in future”? From Afghanistan?
“… in a peaceful and moderate Afghanistan” sounds like Disneyland – the stuff of dreams.
How about not living on hope and facing the fact that we’re surrounded by crap? And the best way to deal with crap – when we cannot clean it up – is to avoid it like the plague and prevent it from entering out house.
In addition to India, China, Central Asian Republics and Iran, besides Pakistan also have a stake in peaceful and moderate Afghanistan. India has to be seen as part of a regional firmament that seeks a pacified and stable Afghanistan. Presently, though unfortunate, India is seen to be on the side of the United States/NATO which, but naturally, is viewed as an occupying force. Pashtuns had shared a traditional relationship with India but to meet the requirement of defeating Taliban, India had to perforce support the Tajik/Uzbek Northern Alliance. The game is eerily similar to the role or perception of India in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. In fact, in almost all these countries, being a friend of India was like a kiss of death for political parties. Relations with neighbours would improve only and only if we stay away from the internal politics of the country and deal with other countries exclusively at the governmental level. For example, after the disastrous IPKF experiment, India has maintained an equidistance between all political parties of Sri Lanka and now, we have much better relations with the island nation, irrespective of who comes to power. Sri Lanka is more sensitive to the security concerns of India today than at any other time in its history.
Do we need to stand on judgement on who is to lead Afghanistan and be involved in the installation of an India friendly dispensation, or, seek a relationship with all Afghans irrespective of who is in power?
‘This too shall pass’
Must overcome even if Cat, Keister, Quereshi, Karzai cosy up.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bush-called-obama-cat-hillary-fat-keister-book/101491-40.html
http://www.smh.com.au/world/talk-of-new-partnership-with-us-pleases-pakistan-20100325-r007.html
The new change circumstances generate grounds for the new emergence
of regional securities alliance of Central-Asien and South-Asien state’s.
India as majore componant participatant discharge more rights and
liabilities to play a stable and permanant role in Afghanistan.
U.S.A and allied will remain stability factore in regional security formation
keeping Afghanistan as an idependence core state.