Durand’s Curse and the long wait for Pakhtoonistan

Afghans would like to live life on their own terms but will Pak allow them to live by their code? Sadly, Pak has never made that effort

- RAJIV DOGRA

Monsters do not get reflected in mirrors. But if by some miracle they did, Afghans would see in their mirror a whole lineup of tormentors.

From Alexander to the Soviets, Americans and Pakistanis, each one of them has treated Afghanistan and its people shabbily. In every case, Afghans have fought them stoically. And from each invading force, they have earned the greatest praise for their grit.

A Russian general said in 1987, “Pashtuns are the bravest people ever born on the earth; these people can't be defeated by force.” An American general echoed this sentiment in 2004: “We are fighting a meaningless war against rocks.”

Such praise may sound heroic, but it has condemned Afghans to a near-constant state of war even in the few moments they are at peace. The result is one long carnival of blood.

Among the many reasons for their misfortunes in the previous centuries was their strategic location as a passage for invading armies on their way to loot India. In a reverse defence of sorts, British India fought three futile wars with Afghans in the 19th century to keep the disinterested Russians away from Afghanistan. The first two Anglo-Afghan wars bankrupted the East India Company, making it convenient for Britain to begin its direct rule of India. This marked the beginning of the many Afghan troubles that continue to hound it, Some wars followed, but it wasn't just violence that stalked Afghans; they were tricked too by the British.