‘Afghanistan The New Great Game; Editor: Alok Bansal; Publisher: Pentagon Press LLP ; Forward: Ram Madhav; Rs 795.00
The world watched in dismay and disbelief as Kabul fell on August 15, 2021, and the human tragedy that unfolded, symbolised by escaping Afghans falling off the wheels of Airplanes at Kabul Airport. India, being in the neighbourhood, was caught in a geopolitical conundrum not of its own making.
The preface by Alok Bansal deals with the questions India faces and the attempts by late Shri Shakti Sinhaji in trying to find the answers via a book. The book, though initiated by Shakti Sinha, was taken forward and completed by Alok Bansal, an expert on Pakistan and Afghanistan .
The Forward by Shri Ram Madhavji puts the importance of compiling the book into perspective. He emphasises the need to understand the various facets of Afghanistan as “Afghanistan is a tragedy..”, and offers a brief insight into the turbulent history. The future of Afghanistan is the key to the stability and peace in the region, and the future of the ordinary people of Afghanistan is of great importance.
Alok Bansal, in the introduction, outlines the implications of the past and present events, and sheds light on important issues taken up in the various chapters by the contributors. Harjeet Singh in Contemporary History of Afghanistan offers deep and fascinating insights into the history from 1732 to the present. The various wars, reigns and the rise of Mujahideen and Taliban are analysed. Maps provided add to the understanding of the issue.
In Imagining the Historical Nation: The Dialogical Project of Nation-Making, Religious and Ethnic Identity in Afghanistan, Omar Sharifi makes the important point that except from 1996-2001, Afghanistan was never influenced by ‘Political Islam’. He explores the complexities of nation building, which given the turbulent history may not be ‘Linear’.
Harsh V Pant and Saaransh Mishra in World After Afghanistan Withdrawal delves into the nuances of American withdrawal, the challenges, the oversights that led to the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 30 hrs. The chapter also analyses the power struggle between USA, Russia and China along with the factors behind the US withdrawal. It also studies the impact of US withdrawal on India.
Afghanistan and the Changing Geopolitical Order by Ajay Singh explores the Great Game from the attack on twin towers. He argues that Islamic fundamentalism is the victor post the US withdrawal. He analyses the geopolitical situation in the immediate neighbourhood, with its impact on Pakistan, India, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Xinxiang, Central Asia and West Asia and its gains for China.
Afghanistan: Pakistan rides the Taliban Tiger by Vinod Bhatia analyses the Pakistani-scripted Taliban Takeover, Insecurities of Pakistan Army, The imminent danger of Af-Pak region becoming a ‘Jihad Centre’.
In Taliban and Terrorism:The Complex Security Dynamics, Saumya Chaturvedi traces the evolution of Taliban from its inception in 1994. She analyses the Idealogical underpinnings of ‘Puritan Islamic World Order’ which has led to emergence of several terror outfits. The chapter offers insights into the various terror outfits including the Haqqani, Al Qaeda and Taliban. Sanchita Bhattacharya in Pakistan’s Terror Machine and the re-emergence of The Taliban explores the ambitions of Pakistan in Afghanistan.The reasons behind the Pakistan-Taliban relationship are explored along with the funding and role of ISI.
Afghanistan’s Inevitable Fall out on J&K by Syed Ata Hasnain tackles the burning issue of the immediate impact on India. He focuses on the replay of events of 1990 that targeted Kashmiri Hindus.
Devyani Rao in Thriving in the Graveyard of Empires draws on her personal experiences in Afghanistan to provide valuable insights into Afghanistan civil society. She describes the insecurity, the violence and tries to contextualise the present events. She argues that Afghans were given ‘a taste of democracy’ and nothing more.
Afghanistan: Confronting the Humanitarian Catastrophe by Sanghamitra Sarker delves into the issues of human right abuses, violence and the breakdown of economic and social systems . The issues of hunger, especilly of lactating mothers, children under 5 years are heart wrenching.
M.Ashraf Haidiri in Pakistan Aggression Perpetuates Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan carries the issue of humanitarian crisis further, arguing that the violence unleashed by Pakistani proxies has deepened the existing crisis. He explores the situation since 1972 and details life under the Taliban.
To conclude, the book is a very timely publication. It is edited exceptionally well, with chapters starting from history to the present events. It ends with a deep analysis of the way ahead for the Taliban and tackles the question of peace returning to the region.
The contributors are experts in their domain and they analyse the new great game from their expertise and experience. To the uninitiated, the book brings a treasure of information. The book is a must read for students of Geopolitics, Political Science, International Relations, Human Rights and Warfare. This book is very important as it sheds light on the human right abuses and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan.
A new great game has begun and the book helps to understand the various facets of the game, while contextualising the present with events of the past
(Co-author of book The Occupied Territories of Bharat)
