The gains of recognising the Taliban govt in Kabul

It could help India cultivate political goodwill and public support in Afghanistan

- Happymon Jacob

For the first time since the Taliban assumed power in Kabul in August 2021, India has hosted the Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi. New Delhi's policy has so far been a slow but steady engagement of the Taliban, but without recognising the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan. Asa matter of fact, apart from the Russian federation, which recognised the Taliban government a few months ago, no other country has done so thus far.

India has been engaging the Taliban before and after it came to power in Kabul four years ago, and the visit of Muttaqi to India with India officially referring to him as the “foreign minister of Afghanistan’ is the closest it has come to recognising the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan. If New Delhi is prepared to treat Muttaqi as the foreign minister of Afghanistan, and call him as such, why not recognise the government he represents as the official government of Afghanistan?

The time has come for New Delhi to recognise the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan, for the simple reason that doing so has minimal downsides and clear strategic benefits. I will highlight four specific reasons why New Delhi should consider recognising the Taliban government without delay. But before I come to that, let us briefly discuss some of the objections to doing so.