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Analysing the Current Afghan Context Afghanistan is on the verge of another transition as it seeks stability and deals with a variety of internal and external issues. After the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist organisation, captured Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, on August 15, 2021. It was the culmination of a military offensive against the Afghan government that began in May 2021. The arrest occurred just hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The majority of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals had fallen one after the other as part of a US troop withdrawal scheduled to end on August 31, 2021. Internal political turmoil, constant Taliban attacks across the country, and deadly suicide bombings by the Islamic State-Khorasan keep it busy while external nations play the New Great Game for geo-strategic ambitions both in its front yard and in its backyard. This book highlights all the ongoing issues of Afghanistan’s surge and provides the readers with insights into the country’s past, present and future. Neeraj Singh Manhas is Director, Indo-Pacific, at Raisina House, New Delhi. Currently, he is a Doctoral Scholar in International Relations (Chinese Studies) at Sardar Patel University, Gujarat, India. At present, he is also officiating an honorary position as an Associate Fellow at the Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies (KIIPS) and a Research Associate at the Association of Asia Scholars (AAS). He is a lifetime member of the Indian Political Science Association (IPSA) and an Associate member at the National Maritime Foundation (NMF). He has participated in various National and International seminars and conferences and published over 150 papers. Afghanistan has been a nation of “graves of many nations” who saw it from their own prisms, devoid of realities of the land and the perspective of the people of the nation. Each nation left it more chaotic than when it entered. Afghanistan is today a global tragedy characterized by barbarism, human rights violations and religious fanaticism devoid of humanity. Understanding Taliban 2.0 its genesis and prognosis is thus foundational to understanding the geopolitics of the region. The book has well encapsulated this sphere and is a must read for both academia and professionals. Its detailed research presents a rich resource for understanding the challenges and dynamics of the region. — Lt Gen A B Shivane, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) Former Director General Mechanised Forces Distinguished Fellow, CLAWS This well-researched and detailed book provides a sharp bird’s eye-view of Afghan history. The book flows very well and touches on current events and suggests paths forward. The book is recommended for scholars, academics, researchers, and those who have an interest in studying the geopolitical future of the South Asia. — Professor Swaran Singh, CIPOD, JNU An interesting book on the current geo-strategic hot spot, Afghanistan. Multiple writers have dealt with whole range of issues covering cultural, economic, political, social, and religious history of Afghanistan in a concise and interesting way. Recommended reading. — Lt Gen Kamal Jit Singh, PVSM, AVSM & Bar (Veteran) Former Western Army Commander & State Information Commissioner This book is an absorbing read which give the reader an insight into the complexities of the region. It has totally changed the way I think about this beautiful and complex country. If you want to at least “scratch the surface” of learning about Afghanistan, this is a good place to start. This was an excellent book that both gave a very readable overview of Afghanistan’s history and an incisive analysis of the current situation facing the country and its future. — Maj Gen Rohit Gupta, SM (Retd) Analysing the Current Afghan Context Edited by Neeraj Singh Manhas Foreword by Maj Gen Dr Rajan Kochhar, VSM KNOWLEDGE WORLD KW Publishers Pvt Ltd New Delhi First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN and Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 KW Publishers The right of contributors to be identiﬁed as author(s) of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identiﬁcation and explanation without intent to infringe. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Bhutan). British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN13: 9781032429397 (hbk) ISBN13: 9781032429403 (pbk) ISBN13: 9781003365006 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003365006 Typeset in Adobe Caslon Pro by KW Publishers, Delhi Dedicated to My Father, Honorary Captain J.S. Manhas—the bravest soldier I’ve ever known, who was the part of Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Operation Vijay in Kargil, Operation Rakshak and 26/11 during the Mumbai Taj attack and also given more than 35 years of his service to his nation and still counting. Contents Foreword ix Preface xi Acknowledgements xix Contributors xxi 1. Afghanistan’s Modern Taliban Era: A Glass Half Full 1 Shubhangi Misra 2. The Impact of the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Pakistan and China 12 Anisha Maulida 3. Feminism, Peace and Afghanistan: An Indian Feminist Perspective 25 Tamanna Khosla 4. India’s Stakes, Challenges and Strategy in the Aftermath of Talibans in Afghanistan 41 Neeraj Singh Manhas 5. Afghanistan: Issues and Challenges in Taliban Era 60 Rajkumar Singh 6. The Graveyard of Empires: An Endless War in Afghanistan 73 Jay Maniyar 7. Decoding Chinese Ambitions in Afghanistan: Its Implications on India 88 Suchita Sharma viii | ANALySING THE CURRENT AFGHAN CONTExT 8. Regional Security Complex in South Asia: A Study of the Rise of Taliban in Afghanistan 102 Puyesh Kant Sharma 9. Convulsed Women’s Rights in Afghanistan Pursuant to Taliban Governance in Early Twenty-first Century 114 Rekha Kumari R. Singh 10. The Resistance of Panjshir in the Face of the Taliban 134 Vibhaa Sreedhar Index 145 Foreword Neeraj Singh Manhas deserves to be complimented for writing an extremely incisive and well-articulated edited book that encompasses the complete spectrum of the subject “Analysing the Current Afghan Context.” The ideas in the book are refreshing in its specificity which takes the reader step by step towards greater understanding of perceived geostrategic situation post take-over of Afghanistan by Taliban and leads to a logical prognosis of the options available to the major superpowers to address the threats to the overall security environment. The analytical approach and engaging flow of the book is inspiring and makes it a good read for students of International Relations and Geopolitics. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and find it a great combine of being interesting as also informative. Hence, I strongly advocate that it be read by Afghanistan watchers. The book based on extensive research, offered suggestions on creating a capability to meet this multi-domain challenge, which is here to stay. A definite read for all with concern for national security and building the nation’s hard power. What I like most about this book is that it has a great title. Truly speaking, Pakistan’s culpability in this entire episode needs to be exposed. This book provides us with the wherewithal to gain knowledge to start understanding important issues concerning all countries of South Asia. Any student of geopolitics must start with this book. It gives a great overview of Afghanistan in simple terms while covering a vast landscape. There are no complicated theories and statistics to confuse you. No rhetoric or building up an unrealistic or imaginary picture. Issues are stated as they are and analysed simplistically with basic facts and figures. It is easy to grasp and digest mentally. Every aspect which is relevant in the Indian strategic construct has been dealt with