Daily Times

“Your neighbour is your natural enemy and the neighbour’s neighbour is your friend”.-Chanakya Kautilya

In line with this famous adage of Brahmin alumnus of the 700 BC ‘Takshashila’ (university) at Taxila, India is following a friendly policy with Afghanistan detriment to Pakistan in the region. In pursuit of this, India has been portrayed as a friend of Afghans irrespective of the fact who rules this treacherous land-locked country. Indian impish diplomatic gimmicks have often succeeded in convincing Afghans and they remained oblivious to the Indian real intent.

It is difficult to disregard that India’s anti-Muslim policies conflict with Afghanistan’s Islamic ideals. With all empirical evidence, the Hindutva-driven mindset in India can never be regarded as compassionate to Muslims residing anywhere in the world. India’s aspired affinity with Afghanistan is a derivative of the former’s traditional Anti Pakistan agenda where Afghanistan stands as a natural ally due to its sour relations with Pakistan. Indian media, an effective tool for perpetrating favourable narratives has always depicted Afghans and Pathans as ruthless, merciless and deceitful. Indian cinema often depicts Muslims and Pathans as criminals, drug dealers, and smugglers for its global audience. The deliberate negative portrayals by Indian cinema and media contribute to the shaping of global perceptions, reinforcing prejudices against Afghans, Pathans, and Muslims.

Indian treatment of asylum-seeking Afghans is reflective that RSS-driven mindset is antagonistic to Muslims of any cast and creed. Out of 21,000 Afghan refugees in India, 11,000 are seeking asylum but they are not yet officially recognized as refugees.

Despite India’s claims to be a natural ally of Afghanistan, Afghan residents in India face immense socio-economic challenges and are living without income, education, or health support. Like their Indian Muslim brethren, Afghan Muslims are confronted with similar susceptibilities due to the country’s growing Hindu dominance. India treats Afghans as illegal migrants under the 1946 Foreigners Act, denying them refugee rights and social services.

Indian media, an effective tool for perpetrating favourable narratives has always depicted Afghans and Pathans as ruthless, merciless and deceitful.

Afghans are subjected to all sorts of discrimination in the absence of legal protection attributed to no specific laws or international conventions and India’s bigoted policies concerning refugees. India has not spared even Afghan students seeking education under mutually agreed accords with the interim Afghan Government. The revocation of 2500 Afghan students’ visas by India cast doubt on its professed friendship with Afghanistan, leaving these students uncertain about their future.

Approximately 700 Afghan students, both male and female, are facing extreme distress and an uncertain future due to India’s inconsistent visa policy. Expelling Afghan students by Indian universities on the pretext of administrative reasons betrays trust between the two countries and speaks volumes of Indian so-called empathy for Afghan people.

It is also imperative to assess India’s role inside Afghanistan where it is covertly patronising aligned terrorist outfits for the achievement of its vested interests in the region. India is playing the role of a spoiler by providing support to terrorist outfits in Afghanistan and forging a nexus with the TTP, ISKP and NDS.

ISKP and TTP have become mercenaries for India, targeting China’s interests in South and Central Asia. These groups operate under a single umbrella, especially against Afghan interests where the rest of the world criticises the Afghan interim government for letting its soil be used against neighbouring countries.

ISKP is a well-established Indian proxy and pursues an anti-Muslim and anti-Islam agenda. ISKP leader Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost has his strings attached to India, which is the main source of ISKP funding in Afghanistan. Indian citizens’ involvement in terrorism in Afghanistan and their nexus with ISKP is substantiated by various media reports by independent sources. RAW recruits a large number of Indian citizens particularly the vulnerable Indian Muslims by sending them to Afghanistan to become part of terrorist organizations like ISKP, TTP and Al Qaida.

Afghan Muslims need to remain cognizant of the fact that the Modi government driven by the Hindutva agenda can never be trusted as a friend to Muslims. Modi regime’s vicious anti-Muslim nexus with Israel is a definitive example of India’s animosity towards Muslims of the world. Israel opened a consulate in Bombay in 1953 and military exports started in the 1960s.

India is the only nation in the Global South and in BRICS, which is backing Israel. India’s backing of Israel against Palestine is evident from the shipment of 27 tons of deadly ammunition from Chennai to Israel in June 2024. In 2018, ‘Elbit Systems partnered with India’s ‘Adani Group’ to produce Hermes 900 drones in southern India, that have been used by Israel in the ongoing Gaza invasion. India has allowed Israeli companies to hire up to 100,000 Indians to replace 90,000 Palestinians whose work permits were revoked following the 7 October attacks, which is tantamount to ensuring the economic exclusion of Palestinians.

Considering this, it is hard to see how India, which is anti-Muslim, could be a friend to Afghanistan. India has imported $2.9 billion worth of military equipment including combat drones, missiles, radars and surveillance systems from Israel over the last decade. Many of those weapons are used in IIOJK. It is high time that Afghanistan takes stock of its intended friendship with India and focuses on mending its ties with its immediate neighbours with whom it enjoys common religious, geographical, cultural, linguistic and ethnic bonds.

The writer is an independent researcher who writes on issues concerning national and regional security, focusing on matters having a critical impact on these milieus. She can be reached at omayaimen333@gmail.com