All the roads that lead to Kabul: 

All the roads that lead to Kabul: 

Context:

India must expand its development role further and enhance its security profile in Afghanistan

Introduction:

• Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s recent visit to New Delhi came at a time when the Trump administration’s South Asia policy has underscored India’s centrality in the ‘Af-Pak’ theatre.
• Washington plans to increase its military footprint in Afghanistan; it is tightening the screws on Pakistan for supporting terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
• Both Washington and Kabul now view New Delhi as a player with considerable leverage over the evolving regional dynamic.

Outcomes of recent visit:

• India and Afghanistan deliberated on regional counter-terror efforts and emphasized on enhancing New Delhi’s defence assistance to Kabul .
• Mr Ghani  also praised the new United States (U.S) strategy  calling it a ‘game – changer’ as it aims at ensuring a regional approach to fighting terrorism, including making Pakistan act against “state sponsorship of sanctuaries” along the border with Afghanistan.
• Both the nations emphasized that bilateral and sincere regional cooperation is important for peace, security and stability in the region.
• Both sides welcomed the opportunities created by the new US strategy for bringing peace and security in Afghanistan,”

Afghanistan’s’ reaction on Pakistan:

•   He suggest that Afghanistan would restrict Pakistan’s access to Central Asia if it is not given access to India through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. He referred to the Indo-Afghan air corridor as an effective response to Pakistan’s attempt to deny India and Afghanistan any direct access.
•  He also strongly rejected Islamabad’s claims that India was using Afghanistan as a base to destabilise Pakistan.
• Mr. Ghani also rejected “Pakistan-managed” efforts to broker peace in his country, and in line with this India too has emphasised that it believes peace efforts in Afghanistan should be “Afghan-led” and “Afghan-controlled”.

Meeting with Tillerson

• Both India and Afghanistan expressed an appreciation for the U.S.’s new South Asia policy, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson continued his travels in the region.
• President Ghani and  Prime Minister Modi following the new U.S. Strategy, agreed that the strategy is an opportunity for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan & South Asia; expansion of cooperation between the countries and the region.

Pros of the new South Asia policy:

More military deployment in Afghanistan

• The decision of U.S accompanying South Asian countries in throwing out terrorism from the region provides for a significant change in the nature of military peace.
• The security scenario will result into sophistication of military operations. The new strategy will be dictated by “the conditions on the ground” not “arbitrary timetables”.  Such a move is necessary to avoid the collapse of the US-backed government in Kabul.

India playing an important role:

• The third part of the Trump strategy is his outreach to India, saying a “critical part” of his administration’s South Asia policy is to further develop the US’s strategic partnership with India.
• U.S expects from India to play a greater role with the credible image it holds in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has also in return nodded in the friendly manner.

•  Mr. Trump’s South Asia policy is a remarkable turnaround for Washington which had wanted to keep India out of its ‘Af-Pak’ policy for long for fear of offending Rawalpindi.
•  India was viewed as part of the problem and now the Trump administration is arguing that India should be viewed as part of a solution to the Afghan imbroglio.
•   This is a welcome change and holds significant implications for India, Afghanistan and the wider region.

India – Afghanistan relations

Defense Cooperation:

• India provides training to Afghanistan military officers in Indian military academies.
• In 2014 India signed an agreement with Afghanistan and Russia. According to this agreement Russia will provide all military equipment needed by Afghanistan and India will pay for it.
• India has directly provided three Russian-made Mi-25 attack helicopters to Afghan Air Force in 2015.

Cooperation in fighting Terrorism

• India wants a democratic and peaceful Afghanistan for stability in its relations. But the country faces terror threats in the following ways –
• Afghani Taliban is a major terrorist group. They are attempting to take over the democratically elected Government in Afghanistan.
• Al Qaeda and many other terrorist groups like Haqqani Network are very active in Afghanistan.
• The recent rise of Islamic State terrorists may have spillover effects on India in future.

Economic Cooperation:

• India is the second largest destination for Afghanistan exports.
• Afghanistan possess many minerals like gold, iron, copper etc. Indian companies have invested in its mining sector
• More than 100 companies have invested in various sectors of its economy including agriculture, communications, Information Technology etc.
• The proposed TAPI (Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan and India) pipeline passes through Afghanistan. It is for importing Natural Gas from Turkmenistan to India.
• India, Iran and Afghanistan have jointly signed a trade deal. The deal aims at investment in Chabahar port for accessing landlocked Afghanistan by circumventing Pakistan.

Why is Afghanistan important to India?

Pipeline Routes

• The country is located strategically adjacent to the oil and gas rich Middle East & Central Asia giving it an important geostrategic location.
• Afghanistan becomes an attractive real estate for dominance on the pipeline routes.

Natural Resources

• Afghanistan is rich in natural resources such as precious metals and minerals.

Regional Balance of Power

• India needs Afghanistan to keep Pakistan in check just like China has been using Pakistan against India
• When Afghanistan was invaded by US in 2001, its objectives were to oust Taliban and control of natural resources of Afghanistan.
• There was an agenda for the US and India to prevent Russian and Chinese hegemony in Central Asia.
• Russia maintains Afghanistan as embankment to protect its vulnerable southern border from illegal narcotics and Islamic extremism.
• These factors make Afghanistan has become a center of power struggle between superpowers.

India’s role in Afghanistan:

•  In recent years, India has not shied away from taking a high-profile role in Afghanistan.
•  It remains one of the biggest donors of aid to Afghanistan, having committed $3.1 billion since 2001.
•   Recently, it announced that it will be working on 116 new development projects in more than 30 areas.
•  India’s agenda is to build the capacity of the Afghan state as well as of Afghan security forces, enabling them to fight their own battles more effectively. This is in line with the requirements of the Afghan government as well as the international community.

Way ahead:

•   Expanding India’s development role further and enhancing its security profile with greater military assistance to Afghanistan should be a priority as new strategic opportunities open up in Afghanistan.
•  While the U.S. has its own priorities in the ‘Af-Pak’ theatre, India’s should be able to leverage the present opening to further its interests and regional security.
• The recent bout of diplomatic activity in the region is a clear signal that India can no longer be treated as a marginal player in Afghanistan. Even Russia wants to keep India in the loop, as was underscored by Moscow’s special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov’s visit to New Delhi for consultations in last month.