India-Afganistan tie-up is good diplomacy, good business

The real reason behind Trump's call to regain Afganistan’s airbase is not just its strategic closeness to China, but the $3 trillion worth of rare earth deposits of the country. Describing his predecessor Biden's decision to withdraw US troops from Afganistan as a 'disaster', Trump threatened Afganistan by saying 'bad things are going to happen' if it does not hand over the Bagram airfield, 'one of the biggest air bases in the world' built by the US there.

- Buroshiva Dasgupta

Immediately, China and Russia reacted saying they would oppose such a move. Surprisingly, even Pakistan and India came together, along with Kirgizstan and other central Asian countries in support of Afganistan. India went a step further, and reopened the embassy in Kabul, in an attempt to establish a friendly relationship with the “Taliban” government. There was sharp domestic criticism when India welcomed the Taliban foreign minister to New Delhi; but when Pakistan attacked Afganistan, apparently on border issues but in reality for its willingness to be close with India, it was proved that India had been on the right track in befriending Afganistan on the northwestern border, where the China-Pakistan link is always a threat.