This refers to your cover story on Afghanistan (20 Years Fell Like Nine-Pins, August 30). The ease with which the Taliban fighters were able to run over one city after another and take total control of the landlocked country has startled the whole world. The hasty and undignified exit of the US has thrown the whole region into turmoil. Pakistan seems to be in the driver’s seat and India has every reason to be wary of the developments. Though realpolitik demands the Taliban mellow down from their earlier ferocious avatar to be accepted by all, this is a tall order for an extremist organisation that swears by the Sharia. The ruthlessness that the Taliban had shown at the turn of the century while ruling Afghanistan is fresh in everyone’s mind. Taliban representatives talk of forgiveness and peace, but they could just be trying to fool the international community about their intentions. Meanwhile, the average Afghani lives in dread of the reign of terror waiting to unfold.
Vijai Pant, On E-Mail
The disruption of a legitimate government in Afghanistan by tyrannical forces of the Taliban presents a great challenge to democratic forces, and appears to be a major threat to world peace and stability. This could alter the regional balance of power beyond recognition if timely and appropriate steps are not taken. Atrocities inflicted on women, children, minorities and civil society are a clear testimony of the Taliban’s evil designs. They have moulded Sharia laws to suit their authoritarian regime. Taliban rule is all that 20 years of the US-led ‘War on Terror’ has achieved in Afghanistan. There is need for international consensus to end the undemocratic Taliban regime as a threat to democracy anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere. If there can be a united front against global terrorism, then this is an opportune moment, but a polarised world with vested interests would never allow this to happen. China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar and other countries will enhance their areas of influence by establishing links with the Taliban.
Vijay Adhikari, Nainital
Taliban’s takeover of Kabul and the sudden upheaval the nation is facing even as the world watches helplessly clearly reveals that Afghanistan is headed back to dark days. Panic reigns supreme as Afghans make desperate bids to escape from the heartless Taliban, who are known to rule brutally. The fact that Islamabad has given shelter and supported the Taliban at every stage for so long is the reason why it could survive during its two-decades war with the US forces. Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan endorsed the Taliban the moment it took control of Kabul, revealing that Pakistan supports terror without any remorse. With China also commending the Taliban and expressing its willingness to work with them on a long-term basis, and Russia hinting at talks, there is every possibility that other countries may follow suit to strike deals with the Taliban in future. As the US has frozen Afghanistan’s foreign currency assets and gold, and the IMF has frozen its credit line to the country, Afghanistan is financially in dire straits. Under these circumstances, it is going to be an uphill task for the Taliban to run the country. Now that Afghanistan is left with no option but to tap its mineral resources, China can bankroll the economy in return for mining rights because that serves its long-term business interests. Taliban will be unable to refuse the terms and conditions imposed by China.
K.R. Srinivasan, Secunderabad
Afghanistan has been a graveyard of empires. No wonder the Americans have beaten a hasty retreat, handing the country back to the Taliban. The second coming of the Taliban has been violent, destroying the legitimacy of a lawfully elected government. More than 3 lakh Afghans have been internally displaced in the past three months. Taliban says it will respect women’s rights, but only within the framework of Sharia laws. News of summary executions belie the Taliban leadership’s assertions that they believe in peaceful negotiations in order to form an inclusive government comprising all stakeholders. As negotiation involves sharing power, the Taliban, who believe in monopoly of power, may not be ready for all that it entails. If the Taliban really care for legitimacy, they must first contest democratic elections and win the confidence of the Afghan people. With two warlords in Panjshir valley mounting a challenge to the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan could soon slide into civil war.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan, Chennai
The colourful photograph of the Kalashnikov-toting, smiling Taliban fighter hides the grey, obscure picture of capitalist plunder of the national assets of this war-wrecked country. There would be two sides to any picture truly depicting the reality of Afghanistan: the fundamentalist, obscurantist and irredentist Taliban on the front, and the hypocritical and selfish capitalist West on the back.
Rakesh Agrawal, Dehradun
Your cover story sent shivers down the spine. The fact that a Taliban takeover was just around the corner was obvious after the Doha meetings, even as the world powers chose to look the other way. However, what puzzles me no end is the way the Afghan forces, reportedly trained by US for decades and equipped with the most lethal weaponry and sophisticated gadgets, threw the towel in the ring at the proverbial drop of the hat. They simply had no stomach for a fight. Such an ignominious capitulation! Reports of the beleaguered president fleeing his distressed motherland, which he had lorded over for so long, with plane-loads of cash, have rendered the situation even more precarious.
Anil Joshi, Ranikhet
This refers to your story on India’s dismal show in shooting and archery at the Olympics in Tokyo (Broken Arrow, August 30). A medal in the Olympics is the ultimate goal that any sportsperson strives for. Consequently, there is tremendous pressure too, and this pressure to perform increases when the participants perform consistently well in other events. This happened with our shooters and archers. They could not soak the pressure and crumbled. As for the lure of the lucre being the driving force for governing bodies and coaches, these too must have diverted the focus of putting the nation first while having their proteges take part in international events like the Olympics.
Kamna Chhabra, Gurgaon
This refers to your story on the “often heard but rarely seen” Opposition unity (Wait Till the Glue Dries, August 30). All opposition parties must realise that there cannot be any viable front against the BJP without the Congress, the main opposition party in India. It has an all-India status that no other opposition party has. It is true that the Congress has seen electoral reverses in the recent past, but it can bounce back.
D.B. Madan, New Delhi