Seven Steps to Rebuild Bridge to Kabul

India must adopt a proactive and multi-pronged strategy to revitalise its enduring relationship with Afghanistan. 

• This approach is crucial given the evolving geopolitical landscape and Afghanistan’s own aspirations for peace and reconstruction. 

Background

• Historic Goodwill: India has always enjoyed immense goodwill in Afghanistan, a civilisational neighbour. 
• Concerns Post-Taliban Takeover: While the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 initially raised concerns about them being jihadi terrorists or a Pakistani puppet, these fears have been disproven over the past four years. 
• Shift in Perception: The Taliban government seeks an independent path and is firmly committed to the principle that its soil will not be used against India.
• In fact, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have been tense.
• Stance of Global Powers: Global powers like Russia, China, the UAE, and Uzbekistan are already engaging with Afghanistan; Russia has formally recognised the Taliban government, and China is extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. 
• Diplomatic Outreach: India’s diplomatic engagement has seen significant steps, including a high-level conversation between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart.
• Afghanistan’s Focus on Peace and Reconstruction: Afghanistan, having endured decades of conflict, now prioritises peace and national reconstruction and desires to recall its talented diaspora. India must accelerate its multi-faceted engagement with this strategically vital South Asian nation.

Steps to strengthen India’s bridges with Kabul

• Harnessing Afghanistan’s Mineral Wealth: India must encourage both state-run and private companies to actively participate in Afghanistan’s infrastructure development and rapid industrialisation. 
  • Prioritising the alleviation of its acute power shortage is essential. 
  • Afghanistan possesses immense untapped mineral resources, including lithium, copper, and rare earths, valued at several trillion dollars, earning it the moniker, the ‘Saudi Arabia of lithium’. 
  • India must engage in non-exploitative, win-win partnerships with Afghan entrepreneurs to harness these resources, benefiting both nations and addressing India’s raw material needs for technological advancements
• Supporting Livelihood Generation: India must share its expertise to revive Afghanistan’s agriculture, horticulture, and small industries. 
  • These sectors offer the highest potential for creating local livelihoods. 
  • The Taliban government has taken stern measures to stop poppy cultivation, which has significantly impacted the opium and heroin trade globally. 
  • Consequently, many Afghan farmers have lost their traditional income sources. 
  • India has a critical role in providing alternative and sustainable livelihood opportunities to these farmers.
• Expanding Health and Education Cooperation: India must review and ease visa restrictions for Afghan citizens seeking medical treatment, education, trade, and business opportunities in India. 
  • For example, there were as many 11,000 Afghan students in India (35 percent of them women) until a decade ago. Today, the number is negligible. 
  • India offers affordable medical treatment compared to developed nations, and Afghanistan spends over $1 billion annually on treatment abroad. 
  • Indian companies should be incentivised to establish hospitals and pharmaceutical factories in Afghanistan. 
  • Furthermore, India can provide critical support for teacher training at Afghan universities.
• Providing ‘Divyang Seva’: Decades of war have resulted in over 1.5 million disabled people in Afghanistan. 
  • India must expand its ‘Divyang Seva’ initiatives, supporting organisations like the ‘Jaipur Foot’, which provides artificial limbs to thousands. 
  • Indian corporate-funded philanthropic bodies must actively contribute to these humanitarian efforts, leveraging India’s soft power and compassion.
• Fostering Sports Diplomacy: Cooperation in sports, especially cricket, offers immense potential to strengthen people-to-people connections.
  • Afghan cricketers, many of whom gained prominence through the BCCI and IPL, are household names across India. 
  • India must build on this goodwill by extending support to other sports like football and wrestling. 
  • A significant gesture would be for the Indian government to encourage the BCCI to construct a world-class cricket stadium in Kabul.
• Facilitating Seamless Trade Routes: The closure of the Attari-Wagah land route following regional conflicts has severely impacted India-Afghanistan trade. 
  • Efforts must be made to reopen this crucial route. 
  • Concurrently, India must accelerate the development and utilisation of the alternative India-Iran-Afghanistan trade corridor through Chabahar port to ensure uninterrupted trade flow.
• Enhancing People-to-People Diplomacy: Fostering mutual trust necessitates a significant increase in people-to-people interactions. 
  • India must ensure more frequent high-level meetings between Indian and Afghan political leaders. 
  • Regular exchanges among scholars, journalists, strategic experts, socio-cultural leaders, and business and industry captains are vital to deepen ties and facilitate progress.
• Promoting Regional Cooperation: The revitalisation of regional groupings like SAARC is paramount for Afghanistan’s national reconstruction, as Afghanistan is a member.
  • India, along with other regional powers, must actively assist Afghanistan in its development. 
  • Afghanistan has demonstrated a clear intent to forge friendly ties with all nations, a decision India must respect and support, similar to Vietnam’s post-war engagement strategy.

Conclusion

The time is opportune for India to infuse new vitality into its age-old relationship with Afghanistan. 

• A stable and prosperous Afghanistan is crucial for regional peace, connectivity, and India’s strategic interests. 
• By implementing these strategic steps, India can reclaim its prominent role in Afghanistan’s journey of national rebirth and secure a mutually beneficial future.