India has always wanted a democratic, stable and strong Afghanistan, able to decide its own future. Discuss the steps taken by GOI towards this goal.
Refer - The Hindu
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
Aims of Indian government
· Peaceful Afghanistan with a broad based government, free of foreign influence.
· Capable of formulating its own foreign, domestic and security policies.
Steps taken
· Cumulative level of committed Indian assistance amounts to around $2billion for developmental activities in Afghanistan, such as
a) Afghan parliament building construction.
b) Delaram-Zaranj highway connecting Iran and Afghanistan.
c) Developing chabahar port in order to connect India with Afghanistan.
d) Electricity transmission lines from Uzbekistan to Kabul.
e) Rebuilding the Salma Dam in Herat province.
f) Doshi-Charikar power project.
g) Air corridor project between Indo-Afghan.
h) Small Development Projects (SDP) - Assistance in the fields of agriculture, rural development, education, health, vocational training, etc.,
· India’s assistance in the defence sector (Both military and police) helps them to tackle the influence of Taliban.
· India was the first country to which Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2011.
· Without deployment of Indian troops in Afghanistan, India upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs.
· This helps Afghanistan to make its own decisions.
· India works on a positive role in capacity building unlike USA, which openly declares that, eliminating terror is its only function.
· India is considered as non-threatening with its democratic traditions by the Afghans.
India’s policies will have to be in line with the needs and priorities of the Afghan people.
It would be in India’s long-term interest to develop positive and friendly relations with all major ethnic groups and factions in Afghanistan.
