SPOTLIGHT
The largest democracy in the world has played an active role in the Afghan
reconstruction process by building the Afghan parliament building and
contributing to the promotion of democratic values. It has also helped to
strengthen Afghanistan’s democratic foundations and civil society.
could save Afghanistan from oblivion. The Afghans’ tendency
to democracy and nation-building has made tangible and
credible independence for them. For the fi rst time, democratic
elections were held and the members of the Afghan parliament
and the president were elected by the will of the people.
Afghanistan’s foreign policy was also infl uenced by the
support of the international community. It has established
friendly relations with the countries of the region and the
world. Although Afghanistan’s Democratization Process has
met the widespread challenges of insecurity since 2006 when
Taliban started reinvigorating, the international community,
with its support, has so far kept Afghanistan hopeful in order
to keep up the gains that it has achieved in the last 18 years.
International community assistance provided the foundations
of democracy in a country where hope for people’s access
to individual and social rights and freedom disappeared in
the Taliban regime in the late 1990s. The Taliban have long
regarded the US military presence and allies in confl ict with
independence of Afghanistan and calling for the withdrawal
of the troops.
Contrary to this claim, it can be said that in the era of
globalization and interdependence, the Golden Age of
Afghanistan’s independence is after 9/11. Of course, the
centenary of Afghanistan’s independence faces two major
events consisting of the September 28, 2019 presidential
election and intensive peace talks with Taliban that can put
Afghanistan’s fate back on track with another infl ated crisis
and consequently the people of Afghanistan will go through
diffi cult days once again. In Afghanistan’s foreign relations,
although the United States has been Afghanistan’s most
important strategic partner in recent years and its military
and fi nancial assistance to combat terrorism and support the
Afghan central government has been critical, it would be
signifi cant to take into consideration the central role of India
as Afghanistan’s strategic friend.
India and Afghanistan’s independence
In Afghanistan, no country is considered as intimate
and friendly as India among Afghan people. Generous
contributions to the nation-building process and active public
diplomacy of India have kept this country a strategic ally for
Afghanistan. However, it has been diffi cult for the foreign
policy apparatus of Afghanistan to establish relations with
two regional rivals India and Pakistan. Particularly in the
last 18 years, India’s importance to Afghanistan goes back
to a variety of services and aids that include not only the
military but also the economic, social and cultural aspects.
The largest democracy in the world has played an active
role in the Afghan reconstruction process by building the
Afghan parliament building and contributing to the promotion
of democratic values. It has also helped to strengthen
Afghanistan’s democratic foundations and civil society. In this
respect, India has played an important role in Afghanistan.
Despite the fact that the people of Afghanistan have not
been able to experience tangible independence because of
insecurity and sustained challenges and destabilization has
changed their lives, they have been able to make signifi cant
gains in institutionalizing democratic values with the help
of countries such as India. Therefore, it is unlikely that the
people of Afghanistan abandon these vital democratic values
even after the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan’s public and
political arena. Afghan people look forward to the cooperation
of the international community at a critical historical juncture
to transit to a stable political system.
* Author is a Ph.D. in International Relations and Vice-
Chancellor for academic aff airs at Kateb University in Kabul,
Afghanistan, can be reached at [email protected]
42 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 9 • September 2019, Noida