– By Saloni
Afghanistan has historically been a land of wars and conflicts. This land has not only proved to be the ‘graveyard of empires’ but it has also suppressed and buried the status and rights of women along with darkening the future of children from time to time. The humanitarian crisis which began with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 1996 seemed to settle down after the arrival of the US forces. Women had their right to freedom of movement and expression, education, employment and even their political representation but again with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, there has been complete reversal of women and children’s rights.
PRESENT STATUS
Women are socially, economically and politically isolated and are often subjected to violence under the patriarchal nature of the Taliban regime. They had been restricted to go to schools and colleges for a long time and only recently they got permission in some areas to continue their education but with a lot of conditions and structural changes. They are not even allowed to travel distances more than 45 miles from their home without the accompaniment of a close male relative. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been abolished and the new Taliban interim cabinet doesn’t include a single woman as either minister or deputy minister. Women have been stopped from doing their jobs except at places which can’t be substituted by a male and many were even forced to marry military men. Children and their futures are left to their fate as their interests have become invisible amidst this crisis.
All these social and institutional discrimination and exclusion has led to some sections of Afghan women along with some NGOs to come forward and demand for their rights. They claim that they are not the old miserable women who will be easily tarnished by this regime. They have once enjoyed the taste of freedom and there is no way back now. And this is something that must not be avoided, either by the Taliban or by the rest of the world.
Women hold great potential when it comes to transforming the conditions of Afghanistan as they are the innermost elements of its society. Of course it would be hard to break the outer rigid shells which surround them and restrict the inflow as well as outflow of each and everything; but anyhow if we are successful to mobilize internal elements and put them into motion, gradually but definitely, it will create such a high pressure that would be enough to break the shells by itself. All we need is to find pores to permeate things that can help them to reach that pressure point. Here India can prove to be a prominent player as it has been contributing and engaging in this field for the last two decades.
WHY SHOULD INDIA HELP ?
Before one tries to find out ways in which India can be helpful for Afghan women and children, it is very important to ask that why should India involve itself in this complex business of others and what possibilities can it create for India. Till now, like many other countries, India hasn’t recognized the Taliban regime and continues to wait and watch its actions and the international responses. However, it is in India’s strategic interest to continue its engagement with the Taliban government in order to ensure its territorial security. The first thing is that if Afghanistan continues to be ruled by the Taliban in an authoritarian manner then it may become a safe haven for terrorist groups, and it can also be used by Pakistan and China to create adverse implications for India. The second thing is that Afghanistan’s port is a vital part of the trade route between Central Asia and India.
India has also launched various developmental and infrastructural projects in Afghanistan, and have contributed significantly in women’s education and their empowerment. Over the last two decades India has invested more than $3 billion. According to Afghanistan’s former ambassador to India, India is the biggest regional donor to Afghanistan and it has built over 200 public and private schools, sponsored over 1000 scholarships and hosts over 16,000 Afghan students. Recently India has sent 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. The Taliban is also wooing India for the sake of it’s recognition as a legitimate government and for continuation of India’s developmental investments. Hence, looking at its past involvement, interests and security concerns, India can neither oppose the Taliban regime full-fledgedly for its exploitative, patriarchal and religious fundamentalism, nor can it support or recognize the regime. So in order to maintain a balanced approach as well as to continue its image as a prominent Asian power, India should opt for soft but significant developments in Afghanistan and for that Afghan women and children are the best sources to work upon.
WHAT ROLE CAN INDIA PLAY ?
The first thing that India needs to do at this point of time is to continue its ongoing social projects through NGOs related to education and women empowerment. Additionally, it needs to widen its horizon, hire more volunteers and invest more resources so that education can reach to the doors of the needy as they are not allowed to move out. Also, India can make use of virtual platforms to spread awareness, connect with the Afghan women and children, and to provide them with all possible necessities. India can be lenient in providing visas for Afghan students who want to pursue their education in India and provide them with proper opportunities and scholarships. However, in amidst of all these actions, India must ensure that its funding for these developments go into the hands of accountable NGOs and not through the Taliban government as there may be chances when these funding can be misused for military or other purposes.
India can also seek a regional solution to this crisis. It can initiate dialogues with regional countries for taking cooperative and inclusive steps for the betterment of the Afghan women and children. Combinely, these countries can create pressure over the Taliban government to be lenient on the minority communities, to grant basic rights to women and to facilitate educational opportunities to all. Since the Taliban is desperate to gain legitimacy of its rule on Afghanistan and recognition from other countries, it can be pressurized to be accountable on some scale. These countries can also come up with inter-governmental sponsored NGOs that can work for women empowerment in Afghanistan.
India can also try to have a direct dialogue with the Taliban government to create space for women in the socio-economic-political sphere. It can also initiate cultural exchange programs and trade deals with Afghanistan and persuade other regional countries to increase their involvement at a slow pace.
CONCLUSION
No matter what the condition is, it depends on one’s strategic actions that determines what one gets from it. Afghanistan’s crisis is a serious challenge for the security of India and a great matter of concern for human rights protection, and that puts India at a delicate position. India is bound to prioritize its security concerns over humanitarian welfare strategically but if dealt with wisely it can come up with a more balanced approach which will be beneficial for India in the long term in terms of security, economy and growing soft power. Helping Afghan women and children is of course a humanitarian duty for India and a responsibility as a powerful nation, but the benefits of this contribution is not one-sided, it brings significant opportunities and possibilities for India in the political and economic realm. All it demands is a multi-layered, broad-minded and inclusive strategic approach from India.
References :
onducted a total of five underground nuclear tests, breaking a 24-year self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing. Pakistan followed, claiming 5 tests on May 28, 1998, and an additional test on May 30. The unannounced tests created a global storm of criticism, as well as a serious setback for decades of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts in South Asia. On May 13, 1998, President Clinton imposed economic and military sanctions on India, mandated by Section 102 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), and applied the same sanctions to Pakistan on May 30. Some effects of the sanctions on India included: termination of $21 million in FY1998 economic development assistance; postponement of $1.7 billion in lending by the International Financial Institutions (IFI), as supported by the Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial nations; prohibition on loans or credit from U.S. banks to the government of India; and termination of Foreign Military Sales under the Arms Export Control Act. Humanitarian assistance, food, or other agricultural commodities are excepted from sanctions under the law. 
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