Indian Presence in Afghanistan; A Limited Horizon [Part I]

The Afghan Taliban’s interim foreign minister and foreign minister of India met last Wednesday in United Arab Emirates. According to commentators, the talk has validated New Delhi’s plans to increase its clout within the Afghan government. Throughout the last months, India has begun progressively improving ties with the Taliban administration. However, this most recent visit in Dubai was the first of its sort to be held at an especially high level.

Over the last two decades, New Delhi has contributed about $3 billion to assistance and rehabilitation efforts in Afghan nation. The typical points of discussion were outlined in an announcement released by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among the primary subjects were commerce, social cooperation, and geo-political growth. Additionally, a deal was made to help the Afghan medical field and refugees, as well as to resume socioeconomic initiatives.

The unnoticed part of the meeting in the announcement, though, was exactly something that indicated a change in the area’s socio-political landscape. This visit’s date and purpose made the main purpose clear. First of all, the summit takes place only a few weeks after India denounced Pakistan’s airstrikes against Afghan interests. A total of 46 individuals have allegedly died as a result of the attack in December. 2024. Additionally, the Taliban appointed a temporary consul to the Afghan mission in Mumbai shortly before the new developments.

Regarding the selection, the Indian administration remained silent. Nonetheless, the date aligned with the collaborative secretary of Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ trip to Afghanistan during the same period.

With Ikramuddin Kamil’s dispatch to the Indian consulate, New Delhi joins an increasing number of nations that have let the Taliban to assume control of Afghan missions. Kamil was a Taliban official and an earlier Afghan scholar in India. Afghan embassies already started functioning in Moscow, Beijing, Ankara, Tehran, and Tashkent. India has dispatched an insignificant technical group to partially restore its diplomatic post in Kabul three years ago.

According to experts, these recent developments point to a strengthening of ties between Afghanistan and India. However, an associate and assistant director of the Indian Observer Research Foundation suggests that the measure might not be the pivotal one that it seems. It may be a logical development of India’s careful and drawn-out response to the Taliban’s presence in Afghanistan since 2021.

In actuality, this is an extension of the previous strategy in which New Delhi is interacting with the Taliban administration. New Delhi, however, is not very interested in recognizing the extent of involvement.

An analysis of foreign cooperation with the Taliban was conducted by the Washington Institute last year. According to the report, nations like China, Qatar, and Turkey are setting the standard for improving ties with the Taliban. In regard to power, Pakistan came in fifth.

India has always maintained that Afghanistan is a strategically significant nation. Historical relations also exist between the two nations. India set aside Afghanistan following the collapse of the republican government in 2021, only dealing with it ad hoc and only when necessary.

The possibility of granting Afghan nationals visas is one good thing that may result from all of these developments. The primary conclusion from the Misri-Muttaqi meeting is that New Delhi could be on the verge of resuming its Afghan visa program. It might be important, particularly in commerce, medical tourism, and education.