India and Afghanistan have a strong relationship based on historical and cultural links. The relationship is not limited to the governments, but has its foundations in the historical contacts and exchanges between the people. The strategic location of Afghanistan as a connection to Central Asia and West Asia is important for Indian efforts to establish stronger and more direct commercial linkages with these neighboring nations.
Re-building indigenous Afghan capacity is the political philosophy guiding India’s policy towards Afghanistan. It was adopted as a part of the Afghanistan-India Strategy Partnership Agreement signed between the Indian Prime and Afghan counterpart.
India has actively been working towards promoting peace, stability and reconciliation in Afghanistan. The Peace and Reconciliation process in Afghanistan is a very delicate task, given its history of conflict, violence and instability over the last four decades. India believes that lasting peace can only be secured if it is grounded in justice, reconciliation and democracy.
India inaugurated the Afghan-India friendship dam, earlier known as Salam Dam. The dam is located in Herat province and supplies clean drinking water to Herat City. It highlights India’s continued commitment to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development. India agreed to implement some important new projects such as the Shahtoot Dam and drinking water project for Kabul.
India’s policy towards Afghanistan has evolved gradually during the last two decades, when it was preoccupied with its own domestic insurgencies and security imperatives. India has been involved in Afghanistan in one form or another for a long time to secure its own national interests. India has welcomed partnering with the international community in addressing Afghan reconstruction and development challenges, while maintaining security interests.
India is focusing on soft power methods that involve winning hearts and minds and strengthening its cultural and political relations with Afghanistan. India’s contribution to the development of cricket in Afghanistan is such an example.
India has played a vital role in the development of education, health, and infrastructure sectors in Afghanistan. India’s assistance includes the construction of a new Afghan National Parliament building, three major artery roads that have connected Kabul with major provinces of Afghanistan and rebuilding of the historic Afghan National Museum among other projects. All these are aimed at institutionalizing democratic and development processes.
India’s policy towards Afghanistan is stated clearly to be one of no boots on the ground. The USA made a proposal to India in the recent meetings of the foreign and defense secretaries (allies) that India should intervene militarily in Afghanistan. The proposal was based on the understanding that militancy in Afghanistan would rise if India did not enter militarily. India is keenly watching how the situation develops, but does not see intervention as an option.
India’s policy towards Afghanistan is based on five key principles that include mutual sharing and solidarity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, promotion of democratic process, participation in reconstruction and institution building as well as supporting the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned national reconciliation process.
Afghanistan has an estimated 1 trillion USD of untapped resources according to a joint report of The Pentagon and US Geological Survey. Stable Afghanistan with better relations means more economic development in the region and of India.
A stable Afghanistan is crucial for regional and domestic security and stability for India. Apart from the growing Afghan trade, joint border management mechanism set up by both countries, intelligence sharing, and cooperation against terrorism threats, our long-term strategic concerns are at stake.
Connectivity to India’s gateway to Central Asia can be obtained either through Pakistan in the West or Iran in the North. On the other hand, Afghanistan alone could provide India with common facilities for trade and energy as well as Central Asia. Thus, Afghanistan is more important for India in terms of facilitating Indian continental outreach vis-à-vis Pakistan and Iran separately.
Increasing strategic engagements with Afghanistan combination is beneficial for India in strengthening a foothold in the region. For example, India’s relations with Iran at present are dominated by oil. Diversification of engagements would strengthen India’s relations with Iran and other countries.
The peace and stability of the region are of vital importance to India. The country's socio-economic well-being depends on the success of the establishment of democratic governance in Afghanistan. India sees Afghanistan as an essential component of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline. An unstable Afghanistan would hurt the construction of this pipeline and the subsequent flow of gas.
India's new strategic partnership with Afghanistan, which includes building infrastructure and training its army, is a significant step towards the goals of economic development and security in the region. But that requires peace to return to Afghanistan after years of conflict. The recent agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan for a transport corridor connecting Chabahar on the shores of the Gulf of Oman with Afghanistan's Ring Road will add momentum to this project.