prasad1
Active member
For years now, India has been heralded as the next rising Asian giant after China. Yet the country's growth in both international stature and economic size, while certainly substantial, has failed to live up to those grand expectations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to office promising a more robust role for India in Asia, and so far he has been living up to that commitment. He has been re-invigorating India's "Look East" policy, strengthening military ties with Japan, Australia, the U.S., and ASEAN. Indian strategist C. Raja Mohan has argued that the endgame of the nascent "Modi doctrine" is to re-establish India's strategic influence in the Indo-Pacific region. With China's economy slowing and experts predicting growth for the Indian economy under Modi, 2015 may be the year in which India finally begins its rise in earnest. Yet, if Modi is to fulfill his ambitions to his east, he must not forget about his north, where a country in flux demands attention.
India has more than enough reason to ensure that it provides a large share of that assistance. India and Pakistan, India's inveterate rival, have been waging what some have called a proxy war in Afghanistan since before the U.S. even arrived. In order to counter Pakistani influence as well as to extend its influence into Central Asia, India has provided $2 billion in development aid to Afghanistan since 2001, more than it has to any other country. Although this aid has largely been confined to non-military projects for fear of provoking Pakistan, in 2014 India announced a deal whereby it will pay Russia to provide arms to Afghanistan. These supplies are expected to start as small arms, but could progress to much more significant items, even tanks and helicopters, in time.
If, however, India helps to build a strong and stable Afghanistan, the Afghan government could put pressure on terrorist groups, effectively eliminating this option for the ISI and improving prospects for Indo-Pakistani relations. In short, an unstable Afghanistan could cause significant security and diplomatic problems for India, problems that would force resources away from India's efforts to the east. It is therefore essential for India to commit resources to Afghanistan now so that it does not face the necessity to focus far greater resources on the country later.
Contributing to Afghan security would give India a stronger argument for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, a long-time goal for the country but one that has often seemed out of reach.
A New Dawn for India and Afghanistan | Graham Palmer
This is just one opinion, but is worth considering.
India has more than enough reason to ensure that it provides a large share of that assistance. India and Pakistan, India's inveterate rival, have been waging what some have called a proxy war in Afghanistan since before the U.S. even arrived. In order to counter Pakistani influence as well as to extend its influence into Central Asia, India has provided $2 billion in development aid to Afghanistan since 2001, more than it has to any other country. Although this aid has largely been confined to non-military projects for fear of provoking Pakistan, in 2014 India announced a deal whereby it will pay Russia to provide arms to Afghanistan. These supplies are expected to start as small arms, but could progress to much more significant items, even tanks and helicopters, in time.
If, however, India helps to build a strong and stable Afghanistan, the Afghan government could put pressure on terrorist groups, effectively eliminating this option for the ISI and improving prospects for Indo-Pakistani relations. In short, an unstable Afghanistan could cause significant security and diplomatic problems for India, problems that would force resources away from India's efforts to the east. It is therefore essential for India to commit resources to Afghanistan now so that it does not face the necessity to focus far greater resources on the country later.
Contributing to Afghan security would give India a stronger argument for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, a long-time goal for the country but one that has often seemed out of reach.
A New Dawn for India and Afghanistan | Graham Palmer
This is just one opinion, but is worth considering.
