Mamata only concerned about Bengali-speaking Muslims, claims Himanta
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The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Understanding Russia's Taliban gauntlet
On July 3, 2025, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) government, representing the culmination of Russia's recent overtures toward the Taliban. This followed the decision to upgrade diplomatic ties and officially accredit the Taliban's new ambassador, Gul Hassan, to Moscow. Now that the IEA flag is flying over the Afghan Embassy in Moscow, questions remain about the rationale behind Russia's choice to legitimise the Taliban regime. A change, two decades later Moscow's eagerness to cultivate diplomatic relations with the Taliban government stands in stark contrast to Russia's approach to the IEA's first iteration from 1996 to 2001. At that time, the Taliban were seen as hostile towards Russia. Moscow did not acknowledge their government and was forced to wind down its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in 1997. Further, Russia provided military assistance to the Northern Alliance and helped its Central Asian allies stabilise the situation along the Afghan border against the terrorist threat. Complicating matters further, the Taliban, in 2000, recognised the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as an independent state and urged the Muslim world to declare a holy war on Russia to force it to stop its counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya. With an estimated 2,500 Chechen militants undergoing training in Taliban-controlled territories, Moscow considered launching 'preventive strikes' on terrorist camps in Afghanistan. In this context, it was unsurprising that Russia joined forces with the United States to adopt the United Nations' sanctions against the Taliban and provided logistical support to the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom, which was launched after 9/11. In 2003, the Taliban were included in the Russian list of terrorist organisations. As the international counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan reached an impasse and the U.S. began to consider withdrawal, Moscow established unofficial contacts with the Taliban through its closer engagement with Pakistan in the early 2010s. This enabled Russia to protect its security interests in Afghanistan (with a focus on ensuring the safety of Russian citizens), collaborating against the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) and combating drug trafficking. Additionally, in a balance act between the Afghan government and the Taliban, Russia stepped up its diplomatic efforts to position itself as a venue for resolving the Afghan crisis. Despite being blacklisted by the UN and outlawed in Russia, the Taliban representatives were invited to participate in the Moscow Format and intra-Afghan conferences, as Russia attempted to increase its own regional influence and edge the U.S. out from Afghanistan. With the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August 2021, even as many other countries evacuated diplomatic personnel amid the lingering turmoil, the Russian Embassy in Kabul remained in operation — Moscow remained confident that the Taliban are capable of putting things in good order. Despite Russia's good rapport with the Taliban's dispensation, the persistent instability in Afghanistan has severely compromised its security interests, with terrorist attacks against the Russian Embassy in Kabul in September 2022 and the Crocus City Hall in Moscow in March 2024, purportedly carried out by the IS-K. There has been no meaningful progress in the economic projects either, though the Russian authorities continue to harbour hopes that Afghanistan will emerge as a conduit for Russian exports to South and Southeast Asia. The basis Russia's official recognition of the IEA government reflects Moscow's conviction that the Taliban are 'an objective reality' and the only political force capable of controlling power in Afghanistan. This is further reinforced by the perception of the Taliban as Russia's 'allies in countering terrorism', which seemingly laid the foundation for their de-listing in April 2025. It should be noted though that the Russian Supreme Court only suspended the ban on the Taliban activities, and the grouping is still on the Russian unified federal list of terrorist organisations. This suggests that the Russian security apparatus is not fully convinced by the Taliban's track record in combating terrorism, leaving scope to reverse the decision if the alliance with the Taliban proves to be a false dawn. The IEA's recognition is a symbolic gesture that does not bring Russia any immediate benefits and does not guarantee any upgrade to Moscow's position in Afghanistan or the wider region. While some Russian officials are insisting on supporting the Taliban, including 'arming them', it remains to be seen how far Moscow is willing to go and whether the joint fight against the IS-K will yield tangible results. As Russia has set a precedent by recognising the IEA, some Central Asian states and even China may well follow suit, especially given that the Taliban's expectations of their partners will certainly increase. Moscow's free pass to the Taliban regarding the inclusivity of their government, as well as women's and minority rights, may become a new template for other regional players who will prioritise pragmatism over value-based approach. Ties with India India will unlikely be seriously affected by the Russian move. New Delhi has fostered its own incremental improvement in diplomatic ties with the Taliban, having recently found common ground with them on the issue of terrorism in Kashmir. It is likely that New Delhi will keep up diplomatic communications, trade and humanitarian cooperation with the IEA, without deviating from its stance on the legitimacy issue. Engagement without formal recognition still seems to be the likely trajectory of India's Afghanistan policy. Harsh V. Pant is Vice President, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi. Aleksei Zakharov is Fellow, Eurasia, Observer Research Foundation
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Need To Relook At Our History": Economist As PM Offers Prayers At Iconic Cholapuram Temple
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Shiva temple, has put the spotlight on the Chola empire, especially on the time of Rajendra Chola, who stood tall when northern India was under Muslim rule. This, however, was not an area or a period that gets much attention -- the study of history being "Delhi-centric", said economist and historian Sanjeev Sanyal, pointing to the big takeaway from the Prime Minister's visit. "We need to begin to relook at our history and think about our great ancestors as a vigorous people," said Mr Sanyal, explaining that the popular conception of Indians as a passive people who are thankful to invaders -- from Muslim to British -- for bringing in technology, culture and cuisine. Our ancestors, he said, "built great temples, they built entire new cities when necessary". "This is a much more vigorous view of ourselves than, you know, we are waiting for somebody to conquer us and give us the railways," said Mr Sanyal, who is also the Principal Economic Advisor to the government. "These were vigorous, risk-taking people, happy to go to war with each other sometimes or with foreign invaders. But the point is, this were not a passive people. And instead, the only person in our history of our, you know, pre-Islamic history that we celebrate is Ashoka. And the only reason we celebrate him is because he was passive, because the empire collapsed under him," he added. He said he was "glad the Cholas are being celebrated," but they were not the only people who had left their mark on the history of southeast Asia. "Even Tamil Nadu itself has many others. The Pandyas, the Cheras, which are from next door in Kerala, the Pallavas, and then the Gajapatis and all the kings of Kalinga, who also had these great maritime linkages to Southeast Asia. The western coast of India has amazing history of links with the Roman Empire and so on," he said. Even in the north, there was more than what gets most attention. "Whether you have the Ahoms of Assam or the Pal dynasty and the Sen-s of Bengal or the Kadambas of Goa or the Chalukyas of Maharashtra and the Rashtrakutas, we all have amazing histories for every part of the country. But somehow we are obsessed with this Delhi-centric view that, you know, we should all be grateful to the Mughals for biryani," he added. The Cholapuram temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site built around 1030 by Rajendra Chola, stands as evidence of the affluence of the of the empire under him. It was built around two decades after the Tanjore temple and in the same style. The Prime Minister's visit comes ahead of next year's assembly election in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is trying hard to carve out a niche.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Saikia: Ulfa-I victims' kin facing intimidation over Baruah's condolence calls
1 2 Guwahati: Family members of Ulfa-I personnel, who had lost their lives in the 'Myanmar drone strike', are experiencing police and Army intimidation for receiving condolence calls from Ulfa-I leader Paresh Baruah or posting their grief on social media, said Assam opposition leader and Congress senior member Debabrata Saikia. Saikia, who was visiting the party's general secretary of Charaideo district Bhoben Likson's residence in Sonari district, said, "Ulfa-I's military chief, Paresh Baruah, might have offered condolences to some of the cadres' relatives in Assam over the phone. Some of these relatives expressed their grief on social media over the loss of their family members in the drone attack. Now, these relatives are reportedly being harassed by Assam Police and the Indian Army for either communicating with Baruah or for their social media posts. They are being falsely accused of having links with Ulfa-I and are imprisoned." Saikia urged CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to request the central govt to "not to harass innocent Assamese families in this manner." He said the CM had previously admitted in a press conference on Jan 1, 2024, that he communicated with Baruah on a quarterly basis. "Despite publicly announcing his contact with Paresh Baruah, has Assam Police conducted any investigation against Himanta Biswa Sarma?" Saikia asked. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo "Now, phone calls made to offer condolences to the families of the deceased cadres are being used as evidence to label people as anti-national, leading to their persecution. Small business owners, farmers and others are being falsely accused of maintaining contact with Ulfa-I and are being imprisoned," Saikia said. Earlier, authorities had detained Likson while he was travelling to join a rally near Guwahati, which featured Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader Rahul Gandhi. Later, he was arrested for allegedly showing his support for 'anti-national' activities through Ulfa-I associations.
