New warmth between Taliban and India as visa curbs ease for Afghans

Move is New Delhi's strongest signal yet of a strategic policy shift towards Afghanistan

- Nirmala Ganapathy

NEW DELHI - Afghan national Parwana Hussain last met her family in Afghanistan in February 2021, six months before the Taliban seized power and Nato forces withdrew from the country.

She has no wish to return given the curbs on women but hopes her two younger brothers can now join her in India.

India ended a near four-year visa freeze and announced a new visa system on April 29 for Afghan students, businessmen and medical tourists—a cautious re-engagement with the Taliban, once shunned by New Delhi.

The move was met with guarded optimism among Afghans amid uncertainty over the number of visas India will issue and the ease of obtaining them.

"We don't know what the rules will be. (But) I hope my brothers can enrol in college for the next academic session," said Ms Hussain.

"It has been tough the last few years not meeting my family."

India had cancelled all visas for Afghans in August 2021 after the Taliban seized power—as a security measure, amid reports of stolen documents and security concerns.

A new electronic visa system later introduced remained limited mainly to Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.

This left families divided, students stranded and medical patients unable to travel.

WHAT CHANGED?

India has not clarified how many visas it will now issue or how accessible the process will be. But the move is its strongest signal yet of a strategic policy shift towards Afghanistan.

This turnaround is set against a broader contest for influence there, especially between India and Pakistan, with China increasingly backing Islamabad's overtures to Kabul.

"India doesn't want to cede ground in Afghanistan, where it had built deep ties over two decades," said former Indian diplomat Zikrur Rahman.

"This is the right time to open up to them. The Afghans have always been strong supporters of India," he said.