US President Donald Trump had recently announced that he had cancelled the secret talks with the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban after a violation of the ceasefire during the negotiations by the Taliban had led to the death of one US soldier while a number of people were injured. It would have marked an important chapter in the Afghan Peace Process.
The United States has been involved in Afghanistan since 2001 during which the Taliban government was in control of the country. Ever since then the Asian country has been going through a period of instability and constant exposure to millitancy.
Trump Administration made it clear during the start of its term to find a way for the stake holders in the Afghan Peace Process to take more responsibility. This was to make sure that a steady foundation wouldbe present to rebuild the country after the US withdraws its troops.
The cancellation of the talks will be of some reprieve to India as it would provide them time to charter a course of action with regards to it. India for years has been invesing heavely into Afghanistan through infrastructural projects and providing them aid.
Subsequent lowering of the US Military presence would increase the threat of destablising the political establishment of Afghanistan and plunging the country into another round of civil war. The US involvement in Afghanistan and its aim to rebuild the country has seen areas of progress especially in terms of providing education to more children and rebuilding the political establishment in the country.
With the talks now called off after the Taliban had violated a ceasefire agreement would be a moment for India to figure out on how to deal with the issue. India took advantage of the pre-engagement of its western neighbour Pakistan by abrogatting Article 370 from the Indian constitution which removed the Special staus of Jammu and Kashmir.
India would also be careful of the situation as during the Taliban control of Afghanistan, proxy elements from Pakistan hijacked IC 814 and took it to the Taliban controlled Kandahar. The Taliban had also made it clear that any counter-operations would not be allowed on its soil which led to the aid of the hijackers.
Given its history with the Taliban, India’s best bet would be to play an active role in the peace process. The US president would also want parties involved to play a significant role on the War on Terror which in Afghanistan has clearly been led by the US majorly.
The structural rebuilding of the society in Afghanistan should be of major concern to the parties involved while the Taliban has been waging its guerilla war tactics against the US has managed to get under the skin of the administration in the United States.
Many would welcome the cancellation of talks particularly the Afghan Government which has urged the Taliban for years to come on to the table and find a solution to the issues of power sharing and what more. US has done one mistake in history during the Vietnam Crisis and would like to avoid that. If the troop presence in the county has been done in one swift move and not trasitionally would plunge the country into a period of uncertainity giving the Taliban ample time to reneg on its promises and take over the country.
India has considered the Taliban as a non-state actor and backed the Afghan government to have a say in the peace process. It would also be concerned of the spill over effect of any violence in Afghanistan which would create chaos in the Kashmir valley.