JOIN USIndia must remain tough on Taliban
The power tussle over who will represent the Afghan government in India is threatening to draw India into taking sides. At present, the Afghan embassy in New Delhi is headed by Ambassador Farid Mamumdzay, who was appointed by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which was ousted by the Taliban in August 2021.
The Taliban regime, which India has not recognised yet, is pushing to have its appointee replace Mamumdzay. Mohammad Qadir Shah, who was appointed as trade counsellor in the embassy by the Ashraf Ghani government, has claimed that he has been appointed by the Taliban as the chargé d'affaires in Delhi.
It is said that he has been lobbying with the Ministry of External Affairs to obtain diplomatic recognition for the Taliban regime. The fight between the Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in New Delhi has been gathering pace since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.
It is now out in the open. The Taliban regime has been trying to take control of embassies in capitals across the world. It has succeeded in doing so in at least 14 countries so far, including China, Pakistan, Iran, and Russia. In several of these countries, including China, Pakistan and Russia, its path to control of the embassy was easy. Host governments keen to establish relations with the Taliban with a view to gaining influence in Kabul and capturing a chunk of the business opportunities that have opened up have laid out the welcome mat to Taliban-appointed diplomatic representatives in their capitals.
India’s relations with the Taliban regime have indeed grown over the months. New Delhi, which had shut down its embassy and consulates in Afghanistan in the wake of the power shift in Kabul, now has a ‘technical mission’ in the Afghan capital. India is providing Afghans humanitarian aid and online training to Afghan diplomats. The Taliban regime has repeatedly said that it is keen to work with India. Yet it has done little about the concerns India has raised.
India and several other countries have been insisting on the Taliban putting in place an inclusive regime -- one that represents Afghanistan’s religious and ethnic minorities as well as women. However, the Taliban has ignored these demands. Indeed, it has deepened its persecution of women. India has also raised security concerns relating to anti-India terrorist groups like the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba operating on Afghan soil. A 2022 UN report revealed that terror groups are enjoying sanctuary in Afghanistan. If the Taliban is not willing to respond to Indian security and other concerns, there is little reason for India to allow Taliban appointees to operate in New Delhi.