india

Updated: Feb 04, 2019 01:40 IST

India has conveyed to the US that its talks with the Taliban should not in any way jeopardise Afghanistan’s political and constitutional structure or the presidential elections scheduled for July 20, according to people familiar with the developments.

India’s position on the US-Taliban talks to end 17 years of conflict, and its concerns about the rapidly evolving situation in the war-torn country, were relayed to US special representative Zalmay Khalilzad when he visited India for the Raisina Dialogue last month. Khalilzad had met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale during the trip.

At the same time, the Indian government has adopted a multipronged approach towards the situation in Afghanistan, including intensive consultations with a cross-section of Afghan leaders in Kabul and New Delhi and discussions with other key players such as Russia and Iran. As part of this approach, India plans to reach out to China for talks on the future of Afghanistan, the people cited above said.

Taking a cue from its handling of recent political crises in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the Indian government will not act in haste despite pressure to spell out its position in response to the fast-paced developments in Khalilzad’s talks with the Taliban, the people said. “The situation is being monitored regularly at the top level. Just because we haven’t taken a public position, it doesn’t mean we are not active in securing our interests,” said a top official who asked not to be named.

Against the backdrop of reports that the US-Taliban talks could lead to an interim government that includes the militants, Khalilzad was told by his Indian interlocutors that New Delhi favoured retaining Afghanistan’s political structure created with great difficulty over the years, and did not favour interim arrangements, the people said.

“The US special representative was told India favours an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process. While we understand the US compulsions to withdraw, Afghanistan’s existing political and constitutional structure has to be safeguarded,” added the top official.

As part of its engagement with regional players on Afghanistan, India plans to discuss the evolving situation soon with China, a country with which there had been no meetings since Khalilzad launched his initiative. The people quoted above said these talks will be at a high level.

India has also stepped up behind-the-scenes consultations with Afghan leaders such as former President Hamid Karzai in Kabul and New Delhi. Several Afghan leaders have quietly visited India for these talks. India was perceived as being closer to the Tajik-dominated Northern Alliance, and the government has ensured these consultations have included the Pashtun leadership, widely seen as being within Pakistan’s sphere of influence, the people said.

Despite the widely reported comments of the Indian Army chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, that India should consider talking to the Taliban without preconditions, the people said there had been no change in India’s policy on not engaging the militants. “Our history with the Taliban is a sensitive issue and talking to them would find no acceptability within the system or among the people,” the top official said.

The people noted that Pakistan appeared to be the only country in the region that is taking comfort in the possible creation of a government in Kabul with the Taliban as a dominant player. “But even Pakistan’s close ally China wouldn’t want an unstable Afghanistan with the Taliban in a dominant role. China also has its concerns about the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and they want to keep Xinjiang safe from such groups,” the top official added.

India will continue its developmental assistance for Afghanistan, for which it has committed more than $3 billion, much of it for infrastructure and connectivity projects, and reconstruction and small development schemes. “India is the only country in the region with such significant assets on the ground. There are now plans for more projects such as the Shatoot dam, which will supply drinking water to Kabul,” said a second official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.