The agreement the US and the Taliban reached in 2020 seemed to be a sign of surrender by all accounts. Then, after India had expended diplomatic capital on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, he shamefully left the nation.
When he declared a month later that India would never accept “any outcome which is decided by force,” Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar had stoked hopes that the Taliban would use members of the previous administration to form the new government.
Source: The Print
The focus of attention in Kabul last week was on an Indian delegation that spoke with the Taliban leadership about a number of issues that could lead to a close normalisation of relations.
New Delhi has also been closely monitoring the resentment between Islamabad and Kabul, which has been stoked by conflicts along the Durand Line and the reality that Afghanistan cannot be economically aided by a bankrupt Pakistan. By year’s end, India appeared content with the Taliban’s resolve to keep Afghanistan from serving as a centre for Islamist terrorism once more.
Source: CNN- News 18
In exchange, the Afghan missions in India were given over to the Taliban in secret. China’s reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Kabul also had a role in India’s decision to soften up toward the Taliban. But before the Taliban gain international recognition, there is still a long way to go. The way in which they have accommodated Indian interests more should encourage New Delhi to support the post-Mullah Omar generation in its efforts to become more globally integrated. However, historical data indicates that India should exercise caution as it re-establishes itself on the Afghan chessboard.
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