Eighteen Taliban officials are participating in a four-day Indian Institute of Management (IIM) course called “Immersing with Indian Thoughts.”
Overview
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sent the invite to the Taliban, which is seen as a sign that India is looking to engage with the group without officially recognising the regime.
According to a 20 February circular issued by the Institute of Diplomacy of the Afghan MEA, the Indian embassy reached out to Kabul on 23 January to invite nominations for candidates for the course.
Taliban’s diplomats will be taking an course on “Immersing with Indian Thoughts” conducted by the @IIMAhmedabad (?) facilitated by the @IndianEmbKabul
— Ruchi Kumar روچی کمار रूची कुमार (@RuchiKumar) March 12, 2023
I’m very curious about the curriculum, and also the required reports they have to prepare at the end of the course. https://t.co/TQ21BuoB8E
According to sources cited by NDTV, the Indian government extended the invitation to the Taliban as it was an online course and would not require the leaders’ physical participation. In addition, New Delhi believes educating the Taliban will be more beneficial than isolating them.
In Doha, Taliban spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that the group also made several arrangements for similar crash courses with other countries.
Lamenting the decision, an Afghan student seeking to return to India for his PhD said that the news was shocking, as Afghan students had been left “stranded” in Afghanistan and were not offered online courses.
India does not recognize the Taliban Regime but the MEA is to hold courses for Taliban officials . Officially @narendramodi stays away from Taliban but unofficially supports the terrorist organization which kills with impunity ,have taken away the rights of women & zero tolerance pic.twitter.com/XoGuQqJlEZ
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) March 14, 2023
Meanwhile, the Afghan ambassador to New Delhi, Farid Mamundzay, said that the invitation reflects India’s desire to “show some direct delivery of assistance to Taliban” regarding building working relations.
India’s Ties with Taliban
While India has not officially established ties with the Taliban regime, it opened its embassy in Kabul in July 2022, around ten months after the group’s takeover.
India activates Chabahar for Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover of Kabul, worry was over Indian investment on Chabahar as its primary focus was to get connected to Afghanistan. Chabahar has been used to send aid & trade with Afghanistan before Taliban takeover. Full report: https://t.co/Py4eFvooS5
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 7, 2023
Meanwhile, it has not shied away from delivering humanitarian assistance, including during the June 2022 earthquake that led to 1,000 deaths. Further, last week, India sent 20,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan via the Chabahar port in Iran.
MEA Course
The MEA is offering the four-day online course, organised by IIM Kozhikode, starting Tuesday. Other partners of India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme, including delegates from Thailand, the Maldives, and Malaysia, were invited to participate. The participants also include several business owners, executives, and government officials.
WATCH: Indian ambassador to the #UN #RuchiraKamboj says at the #UNSC that #India is concerned about the #Taliban's efforts to "remove women from public life" in #Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/tVLBE1xeWh
— Statecraft (@statecraftdaily) March 9, 2023
The course description highlighted that it seeks to help foreign officials “gain a deeper understanding and appreciation” of the business environment in India, as the country’s diversity could appear to be a “complex space for outsiders.” It will allow the participants to gain insight into India’s economy, culture, and society.
The synopsis further said that the participants would come to understand India’s historical background, legal and environmental context, consumer mindsets, and business risks.