Valleys and Valour

TALIBAN MARCH TO KABUL AND BEYOND – PART III   ‘It is easier to deny words but difficult to obliterate deeds; so appraising the actions of the Taliban, rather than focusing on their proclaimed words, is likely to provide a more effective reality check.’ – Veteran Col RS Sidhu   The Psyche of Afghanistan Understanding the essence of Afghanistan is the first step to be au fait with its current goings on, while the gateway to understanding the psyche of Afghanistan lies in comprehending the all-pervasive dichotomy in Afghanistan.   The Afghan culture is a primary mix of Turkish and Iranian ethno-cultural as well as religious influence. The original Iranian culture and empire was overwhelmed by the aggressive expansion of Mediterranean and Caucasian civilisations with their own distinctive ethno-cultural and socio-religious identities. Turkish cultural influence, on the other hand, continued to permeate the Mediterranean and Central Asian region right into Afghani...

TALIBAN MARCH TO KABUL AND BEYOND – PART II   ‘The Taliban leadership looks at unpredictability as a major diplomatic tool to achieve geopolitical gains.’ – Veteran Col RS Sidhu    India Gets Its First Diplomatic Gambit Right The Taliban, despite indirect overtures to India at Doha, failed to make an unequivocal offer of security for Indian diplomatic mission. This issue assumed critical importance for India, as it strongly pointed towards discord within the Taliban hierarchy on geopolitical stance to be adopted by the new Government of Afghanistan. It also highlighted the strong position held within the Taliban coalition by substantial components that are inimical to Indian interests.  India's immediate interest lay in safe evacuation of it's citizens from Afghanistan, which it effectively organised. India adopted the right strategy to evacuate all its diplomatic staff from Afghanistan, as under the circumstances, retaining the diplomatic staff in situ could have le...