«Taliban Factor» in India-Central Asia Relations

This article examines role of Taliban in India’s relationship with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) in three phases – from early 1990s to 2001, from 2001 to 2021 and from 2021 onwards. In the first phase in 1990s, both India and the CARs faced serious security threats from advent of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Their perception of Taliban being a ‘mutual threat’ was one of the reasons why India and some Central Asian countries like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan supported Northern Alliance in late 1990s against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US-NATO presence in Afghanistan since 2001 led to changes in India and CARs response to Afghanistan. Both sides cooperated with the US for the improving the security situation in Afghanistan. In the post-American Afghanistan since 2021, India and the CARs have deepened their security and intelligence cooperation and both sides are maintaining regular political and security consultations. The India-CARs cooperation over Afghanistan has the potential to be a template that other countries could also follow in their ties with the Taliban. Sufism has a special role and potential in shaping India-CARs response to the Taliban and terrorism in the contemporary context.  Key words: India, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Taliban