By_shalini oraon
This headline refers to a complex diplomatic situation from 2021. Let’s break down the events, the motivations behind India’s stance, and clear up a common misconception.
The headline is a dramatic oversimplification, but it points to a real and significant shift in India’s foreign policy.
The Core Event: Trump’s Last-Minute Proposal
In the final days of the Trump administration in January 2021, as the U.S. was executing its withdrawal from Afghanistan, a proposal was floated for the U.S. to hand over the strategically crucial Bagram Air Base to a “third country” for monitoring purposes. While not officially confirmed to be India, it was widely reported and understood that the Trump administration was sounding out New Delhi for this role.
India’s Reaction: Why It Rejected the Role
India categorically rejected any possibility of taking over the Bagram base. The reasons were strategic and rooted in a hard-nosed assessment of the ground reality:
1. The Taliban’s Imminent Victory: By January 2021, it was clear that the U.S. withdrawal would lead to a Taliban takeover. Sending Indian troops to Bagram would have meant placing them in the heart of a Taliban-controlled country.
2. A Direct Provocation to the Taliban: Taking over a U.S. base would have been seen by the Taliban as an act of war and a direct continuation of the foreign occupation they had just fought against. It would have made India an immediate enemy.
3. Massive Security Risk: Indian personnel at Bagram would have been extremely vulnerable to attacks from the Taliban and other Pakistan-backed jihadist groups like the Haqqani Network. It was seen as a potential suicide mission.
4. Pakistan’s Reaction: Pakistan, which has deep ties to the Taliban, would have viewed an Indian military presence on its western border as an existential threat and a direct attempt at strategic encirclement. This could have escalated into a major regional conflict.
The “Siding With Taliban, Pakistan & China” Angle
This is where the headline gets its punch, but it’s misleading. India did not “side with” these actors in the sense of an alliance. Instead, its national interest coincided with theirs on this single, specific issue.
· Taliban: All opposed a continued foreign military presence, especially from India.
· Pakistan: Vehemently opposed an Indian military footprint in Afghanistan, a country it considers its “strategic depth.”
· China: Also wary of an expanded Indian role in a region where it has significant investments (via the Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan).
So, while India, Pakistan, China, and the Taliban all wanted the same outcome—no Indian troops at Bagram—their motivations were entirely different and often in direct opposition to each other.
India’s Strategic Pivot and Engagement with the Taliban
India’s rejection of the Bagram proposal was part of a larger, pragmatic shift in its Afghanistan policy:
· From “No Talk” to “Pragmatic Engagement”: For years, India had a policy of not engaging with the Taliban, whom it saw as a proxy of Pakistan. However, as the U.S. withdrawal became inevitable, India began back-channel talks with the Taliban to protect its own interests.
· Protecting Investments: India has invested over $3 billion in Afghanistan in infrastructure, dams, roads, and the Afghan parliament. An adversarial relationship with the new rulers would jeopardize these assets.
· Counterterrorism: India’s primary concern is preventing Afghanistan from being used as a safe haven for anti-India terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which are linked to Pakistan. Engaging with the Taliban, however distasteful, is seen as a necessary step to address this threat directly.
Conclusion
The headline “India sides with Taliban, Pakistan & China, slams Trump bid to take over Bagram base” is sensationalist.
A more accurate description would be:
“India, in a pragmatic move to avoid a strategic disaster, rejected a U.S. proposal to take over Bagram Air Base, an action that aligned it—on this single issue—with the Taliban, Pakistan, and China, who also opposed the plan for their own conflicting reasons.”
This event marked a key moment where India prioritized its own national security and strategic flexibility over aligning with a departing U.S. strategy, leading to its cautious and calculated engagement with the Taliban regime that now governs Afghanistan.