The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is conducting a four-day course called “Immersing with Indian thoughts” that includes participants from the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs extended the invitation to the Taliban, possibly to engage with the regime without officially recognising it. The course, which began recently, includes delegates from various other countries.
The programme is being offered by the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, through the Ministry of External Affairs. The course was open to all partner countries of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme.
The course offers foreign officials and executives an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of India’s business environment. According to the course synopsis, the programme helps participants gain an insight into India’s economic environment, regulatory ecosystem, cultural heritage, social backdrop, and more.
The course includes 30 participants who are a mix of government officials, business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs. The sessions cover leadership insights into Indian thoughts, social and historical evaluation of India, and the richness of cultural heritage.
Many participants from Kabul are attending the course as it is being conducted online, eliminating the need to travel to India. The fact that Taliban foreign ministry officials can participate in the programme was revealed by a circular in Dari by the Institute of Diplomacy, Afghanistan. The circular has gone viral on social media.
India recently reopened its embassy in Kabul after ten months of Taliban rule by deploying a technical team to monitor and coordinate humanitarian assistance.
Experts suggest that the invitation to the Taliban to participate in the course indicates India’s willingness to engage with the new regime in Afghanistan, which is viewed as a significant change in India’s policy towards the Taliban. India’s decision to reach out to the Taliban could be an attempt to avoid being left out of the region’s political negotiations, given the Taliban’s increasing hold on Afghanistan.
The move may also be aimed at protecting India’s interests in the region, particularly given the threat of Pakistan-based terrorists operating in Afghanistan. Additionally, India may seek to safeguard its strategic investments in the country, such as the Chabahar port in Iran, which provides India access to Central Asia and Afghanistan while bypassing Pakistan.
India’s decision to engage with the Taliban also highlights the challenges of balancing geopolitical interests while maintaining moral values. The Taliban has been criticised for its human rights abuses, particularly against women and minorities. India’s engagement with the Taliban may lead to criticism from its allies and human rights groups. However, India’s policymakers may feel that it is necessary to engage with the Taliban to safeguard India’s strategic interests in the region.
India’s invitation to the Taliban to participate in the course is a significant development in India’s policy towards Afghanistan. It reflects India’s willingness to engage with the new regime and protect its strategic interests in the region. However, the move is not without challenges, given the Taliban’s human rights record and potential backlash from India’s allies and human rights groups.
