Why India's Aid For Afghanistan Can Be A Threat To India?

Indian Technical and Economic Co-operation (ITEC), a bilateral assistance programme under the Ministry of External Affairs, was established by the Government of India(GoI) in September 1964 to assist needy underdeveloped nations across the globe. ITEC comprises 156 members in it. It includes countries from Asia, East Europe, Africa,Central Asia& Latin America. TEC invites these countries to share India’s development experience acquired over the last sixty years. India has made a dicey investment in one of the ITEC member countries which can emerge as a return threat to India. That’s Afghanistan.GoI has invested $2 Billion in Afghanistan’s development via  ITEC.Right from constructing roads,schools,hospitals,providing training to police forces to building Afghanistan Parliament. But the question arises is did GoI invest right amount at right place? Everyone knows Afghanistan is a home for Talibanis.They are infamous for their atrocious and terrorism activities. In that sense, is it possible for India to have a safe presence in Afghanistan?

 In 2014, US will withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan. Post 2014,Taliban forces might come into action as a political force.US President Mr.Barack Obama had said that he will maintain some troops in Afghanistan to train Afghan army. But Taliban has resisted this citing they will not allow even a single troop to remain in Afghanistan. Because of US troops presence, Afghanistan was a bit safer place and Talibanis were unruffled to some extent. I think GoI disregarded post 2014 situation before investing in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, Pakistan too plays a very important role. Not in development related issues but related to atrocious acts. Mullah Omar, who leads Taliban in Afghanistan, is still controlled by Pakistan. Mullah Omar is in custody of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) according to Afghan intelligence. By keeping Mullah as its trump card, Pakistan forces Taliban to dance on its tune. They can use Mullah to destruct infrastructural development done in Afghanistan by GoI.They can even force Taliban to attack on India. Post 2014, India will have to sit and negotiate with Taliban. The core issue is can India trust on Taliban. History gives evidence that every attempt to negotiate with Taliban has gone in vain.

Last year Afghanistan President Mr.Hamid Karzai was in India to woo Indian entrepreneurs to invest in Afghanstan.Afghanistan have large reserves of gold, iron ore, natural gas, copper.He also cited that China has bagged five major contracts in Afghanistan. Then why can’t India? He assured red carpets for Indian entrepreneurs. Two years back when Mr.S.M.Krishna,then External Affair Minister of India met Mr.Karzai,Karzai assured India’s investment will be safe in Afghanistan. These assurances can be proved only in 2014.  

India doesn’t have any direct entry to Afghanistan. India has been forced to enter Afghanistan via Iran since Iran is the only feasible entry point. Because of these we are bound to Iran to some extent. India’s close relationship with Iran just to enter Afghanistan can have the adverse effect on India-US relationship. India is working on building entry point through Uzbekistan. But after US withdraws its troops in 2014,, all the neighboring countries including China, Russia will endeavor to enter Afghanistan. If India wants to invest in Afganistan,it will have to build many routes to enter into Afghanistan. Prior to these GoI must consider two factors as the utmost important.One,Taliban’s regime after 2014.Two,increasing proximity between China and Pakistan.Afganistan’s actual development will depend only if all its neighboring countries keep up with the Joneses