In an ideal world, there might have been several reasons to argue against a rapprochement between India and the Taliban regime of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Therefore, the cautious outreach launched through New Delhi's hosting of its "Foreign Minister" Amir Khan Muttaqi does seem appropriate for the times.

At present the argument for the initiating of efforts at cordiality is summed up in the adage that 'my enemy's enemy is my friend'. Last weekend's violent clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces seem to have been more serious than Muttaqi let out when he spoke to the media in New Delhi on Friday. There, apparently, was an air strike by the Pakistan Air Forece on a Pashtun insurgent group's safehouse near Kabul. An Afghan official spokesman said 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory shelling by his side's armed forces. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are reported to have begun reconciliatory efforts. India would do well to simply wait and watch at this stage.

As indicated by the use of quotation marks in conjunction with Muttaqi's title, the Government of India is not yet ready to accept the current Afghan regime as a full-fledged international partner. Any awkwardness that was felt on this account by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar or other officials who interacted with the high functionary during his visit on October 9 and 10 would have been explained very easily.

The Taliban regime is still under international sanctions and Muttaqi's journey was made possible by a specific exemption granted by the Security Council. Under these circumstances, it was, of course, not possible for the government to extend the courtesies or follow all the protocols that otherwise might have been due.

Apart from the fact that the UN sanctions are still in force there are other reasons that hold India back from developing cordial relations with the Taliban. People in this country have not forgotten the role this organization of militant clerics played during the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 in December 1999. The hijackers........

© Mathrubhumi English