July 24, 2021
Indian commentators are acknowledging that keeping a distance from the Afghan Taliban was a mistake. Now that India has closed down its consulates in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat, they are realizing that there are no permanent friends or enemies – only national interests matter.
The second lesson for India and everyone else is to avoid undermining one's adversaries if a temporary gain at the diplomatic level has been achieved, such as the one gained by India in Afghanistan after 9/11.
Significantly, three thousand Indians have been withdrawn from Afghanistan, which is the highest number India has had anywhere associated with its diplomatic missions abroad. However, some personnel were involved in developmental projects in the country.