11-25-2005, 10:01 AM
<b>Forward thinking </b>
<i>To save our interests, we have to get pro-active in Afghanistan.</i><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->24 November 2005: We have been ambivalent about our role in Afghanistan, showing the other cheek to be slapped, so to say, and this is not policy, but cowardice. The Taliban have been our enemy in Jammu and Kashmir, sending trained cadres for terrorism, in league with the ISI and Pakistan army when they were in power, and they were hand in glove in the murder of one hostage in the December 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines plane, and in the safe passage afforded to the hijackers and the terrorist leaders released from Indian prison, including
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In Afghanistan, our role is more complicated. The Kautilya principle (the so-called Mandala theory of foreign policy) is that countries you donât share borders with are friendlier, and we had friendly relations with Afghanistan till the Soviet occupation and their puppet regime collapsed. These were more than government-to-government relations, the Afghans share a deep cultural and emotional bond with India, the Afghans have always been more attracted to India as this great melting pot of ideas, creativity and culture than Pakistan, which was incidentally loathed throughout the Taliban years and after they were driven out post 9/ 11.
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<b>The Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, Rakesh Sood, has not been helpful, saying to the effect that such things happen in the violent Afghan countryside to other nationals as well. We could do without Soodâs fatalism, in case he has been correctly quoted in the press</b>
<b>But Afghanistan needs pro-active Indian participation, beyond a point, the Americans wonât do our fighting, nobody would. The destruction of the Taliban in their hideouts in the FATA areas of Pakistan should be an Indian agenda as well. The Taliban thinks India will not react, but we have to prove them wrong.</b>
<b>Ultimately, we are a non-power if we cannot protect those who are instruments of our forward policy. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<i>To save our interests, we have to get pro-active in Afghanistan.</i><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->24 November 2005: We have been ambivalent about our role in Afghanistan, showing the other cheek to be slapped, so to say, and this is not policy, but cowardice. The Taliban have been our enemy in Jammu and Kashmir, sending trained cadres for terrorism, in league with the ISI and Pakistan army when they were in power, and they were hand in glove in the murder of one hostage in the December 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines plane, and in the safe passage afforded to the hijackers and the terrorist leaders released from Indian prison, including
..............
In Afghanistan, our role is more complicated. The Kautilya principle (the so-called Mandala theory of foreign policy) is that countries you donât share borders with are friendlier, and we had friendly relations with Afghanistan till the Soviet occupation and their puppet regime collapsed. These were more than government-to-government relations, the Afghans share a deep cultural and emotional bond with India, the Afghans have always been more attracted to India as this great melting pot of ideas, creativity and culture than Pakistan, which was incidentally loathed throughout the Taliban years and after they were driven out post 9/ 11.
...........
<b>The Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, Rakesh Sood, has not been helpful, saying to the effect that such things happen in the violent Afghan countryside to other nationals as well. We could do without Soodâs fatalism, in case he has been correctly quoted in the press</b>
<b>But Afghanistan needs pro-active Indian participation, beyond a point, the Americans wonât do our fighting, nobody would. The destruction of the Taliban in their hideouts in the FATA areas of Pakistan should be an Indian agenda as well. The Taliban thinks India will not react, but we have to prove them wrong.</b>
<b>Ultimately, we are a non-power if we cannot protect those who are instruments of our forward policy. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->