India’s Strategic Shift in Engagement with Taliban Afghanistan

India’s recent engagement with the Taliban, marked by the 2025 visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, signals a major shift in New Delhi’s diplomatic approach. This visit included meetings with Indian officials and a symbolic stop at Darul Uloom Deoband, denoting India’s cautious but pragmatic recalibration of its Afghanistan policy. The move reflects India’s attempt to balance security interests, regional influence, and economic considerations amid evolving geopolitical realities.

Historical Background of the Taliban

The Taliban emerged in the mid-1990s after years of conflict in Afghanistan. Originating from refugee camps and madrassas influenced by Wahhabi ideology in Pakistan, they seized Kabul in 1996 with support from Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Their regime was marked by harsh Islamic law enforcement, banning girls’ education, restricting women’s rights, persecuting minorities, and destroying cultural heritage. Their alliance with al-Qaeda made them a global terror symbol. After 2001, the Taliban were ousted but regrouped in Pakistan, maintaining ties with the ISI.

India’s Traditional Stance on Afghanistan

India historically supported democratic governments in Kabul and invested over $3 billion in infrastructure and development after the Northern Alliance took power in 2002. India downgraded ties during Taliban rule due to their extremist ideology and terror links. The return of the Taliban in 2021 forced India to reconsider its position, especially given concerns over China’s growing influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s weakening hold on the Taliban.

2025 Visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi

Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit was highly symbolic. His meetings and his stop at Darul Uloom Deoband projected a moderated Taliban image, though gender discrimination and repression continue in Afghanistan. The visit aimed to open diplomatic channels, provide humanitarian aid, and participate in regional dialogues. However, the exclusion of women journalists at his press conference and ongoing human rights violations temper the impression of moderation.

Strategic Calculations and Risks for India

India’s engagement is driven by strategic pragmatism. It seeks to curb Pakistan’s influence, protect investments, and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a terror base against India. However, this comes with risks. The Taliban’s ties to Pakistan’s ISI and militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba remain a threat. Supporting a theocratic and oppressive regime challenges India’s liberal democratic image and complicates domestic communal relations.

Impact on Indian Society and Perceptions

Muttaqi’s reception at Darul Uloom Deoband was portrayed as widespread Muslim support for the Taliban, which is misleading. Indian Muslims largely reject Taliban ideology. Media portrayal risks polarising Hindu-Muslim relations further. The government faces the challenge of managing perceptions while pursuing its foreign policy objectives.

Balancing Realpolitik and Moral Clarity

India’s policy towards the Taliban tests its ability to balance strategic interests with moral values. Immediate benefits include intelligence sharing and regional influence. Yet, India must safeguard its democratic principles and social harmony at home while navigating complex geopolitics in Afghanistan.

Questions for UPSC:

1. Critically discuss the impact of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) on regional security and its influence in Afghanistan post-2001.
2. Analyse India’s foreign policy challenges in balancing strategic interests with democratic values in its engagement with non-democratic regimes.
3. Examine the role of religious seminaries like Darul Uloom Deoband in shaping socio-political narratives in India and their impact on communal relations.
4. Estimate the consequences of China’s growing footprint in South Asia on India’s regional diplomacy and security strategy.

Answer Hints:

1. Critically discuss the impact of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) on regional security and its influence in Afghanistan post-2001.

1. ISI has historically supported Taliban as a strategic asset to project Pakistan’s influence in Afghanistan.
2. Post-2001, ISI allegedly provided shelter and logistical support to Taliban fighters regrouping in Pakistan.
3. ISI’s involvement has facilitated militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba operating from Afghan soil, threatening regional security.
4. This proxy influence destabilizes Afghanistan, undermining peace efforts and complicating India-Pakistan relations.
5. ISI’s covert operations have contributed to cross-border terrorism and insurgency in Kashmir and northeastern India.
6. Regional security remains fragile due to ISI’s role in perpetuating conflict and obstructing democratic governance in Afghanistan.

2. Analyse India’s foreign policy challenges in balancing strategic interests with democratic values in its engagement with non-democratic regimes.

1. India’s engagement with Taliban reflects pragmatic realpolitik prioritizing security, regional influence, and economic interests.
2. Supporting an oppressive, theocratic regime challenges India’s image as a liberal democracy committed to human rights.
3. India must manage domestic perceptions and communal harmony while engaging with regimes violating gender and minority rights.
4. Balancing intelligence cooperation and counterterrorism needs against moral clarity is a key diplomatic dilemma.
5. Historical lessons (e.g., ties with Zia’s Pakistan) warn against overlooking long-term risks for short-term gains.
6. India’s policy must reconcile strategic pragmatism with sustaining democratic principles and international credibility.

3. Examine the role of religious seminaries like Darul Uloom Deoband in shaping socio-political narratives in India and their impact on communal relations.

1. Darul Uloom Deoband is a historic Islamic seminary influencing religious education and Muslim socio-political thought in India.
2. It promotes a moderate Sunni Islamic ideology distinct from Wahhabi extremism associated with Taliban.
3. The seminary’s interactions with Taliban figures can be misinterpreted, affecting public perceptions of Indian Muslims.
4. Media portrayal of such events risks stereotyping Muslims and exacerbating Hindu-Muslim communal tensions.
5. Darul Uloom plays a role in countering radicalization but faces challenges in balancing tradition with contemporary socio-political realities.
6. Its influence extends to shaping political attitudes, social cohesion, and inter-community dialogue in India.

4. Estimate the consequences of China’s growing footprint in South Asia on India’s regional diplomacy and security strategy.

1. China’s expanding investments and infrastructure projects (e.g., CPEC, Belt and Road Initiative) increase its influence in South Asia.
2. China’s close ties with Pakistan and Afghanistan challenge India’s traditional regional dominance.
3. This compels India to recalibrate diplomacy, engage with Taliban, and strengthen regional partnerships (e.g., Quad, BIMSTEC).
4. China’s footprint raises security concerns over border disputes and potential encirclement strategies.
5. India’s counter-strategy includes enhancing connectivity with Central Asia and Afghanistan to counterbalance China.
6. China’s presence complicates multilateral negotiations and regional stability, affecting India’s long-term strategic calculus.