India’s participation in a meeting with Taliban officials in Moscow signals a decisive shift in the country’s approach towards the Islamist group. Analyze the significance of India’s engagement with the Taliban. (200 Words)
Reference - The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 3 years
KEY POINTS
· India had earlier taken a strong position against any kind of engagement with the Taliban.
· The Taliban were making steady advances towards Kabul, India had established contacts with the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, but this is the first time India met a top Taliban delegation.
· Last time the Taliban, which have close ties with anti-India terrorist groups such as LeT and the JeM, were in power, India saw a rise in violent incidents in Kashmir as well as the hijacking of an Indian plane to Kandahar.
· Now the Taliban say they will not allow Afghan soil to be used by any terrorist organisation.
· It would also not like to see an isolated Taliban being a Pakistani satellite. To meet these goals, given the new reality in Afghanistan, engagement with the Taliban looks a strategic necessity.
· The Moscow 10, which includes China, Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian republics, has some leverage.
· India and the others asked the Taliban to keep their commitment on forming an inclusive government and ensure that their territory is not being used by terrorist groups.
· These calls should not end with the statements. While India and other regional countries should help Afghans during this period of economic miseries.
