ABOUT THE BOOK
fjrigjwwe9r0pp_Books:Description
The post-2014 situation in Afghanistan following the
drawdown of the US/NATO/ International Security Assistance Force, has been the
subject of a most perplexing debate in recent times with the major obscurity
lying in predicting the actual intentions of various actors involved in the
Afghan imbroglio. Fixated on Afghanistan`s looming challenges, often a bleak
picture of the embattled country`s future has been drawn in the international
media and academia which anticipated that the volatility of Afghanistan would
lead to regional instability and colossal security challenges, especially in
the period beyond 2014. However, the narrative of despair was supplemented by a
narrative of opportunity where proposals envisioning Afghanistan`s role as a
fulcrum for trade and cooperation were being drawn up on the basis of an
argument that hegemonic prescriptions do not sustain themselves.
Nation-building, it was said, could proceed on the basis of economic
development, social harmony, rule of law and participatory democracy in
consonance with the “wishes of the Afghan people”; and that a regional
order which is yet to emerge is a pressing need in order to avoid intensified
regional rivalry.
Contemporary Afghanistan still remains a complex milieu
characterised by powerful and competing agendas. Variables like the Taliban
insurgency, the capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces, presence
of international troops, policies of the United States, the internal power
struggle and the regional dynamics are fast evolving. India, an active player
in Afghanistan, remains legitimately concerned about the kind of role it is to
play under such circumstances. The post-2014 situation and the possibility of
an international withdrawal necessitates sharing concerns, evaluating the
contingencies and preparing ahead. The aim of this volume is to provide an
appraisal of the post 2014 narrative of hope and despair. It deals with themes
such as: internal political dynamics and power-struggle in Afghanistan,
criticalities of security transition in Afghanistan, reconciliation between the
other ethnic groups and the Taliban, possibilities of an “Afghan-owned”
and “Afghan-led” process, regional security and the role of the regional
countries, global response to the Afghan issue, India`s and Pakistan`s security
dilemma vis-a-vis Afghanistan and India`s workable response.
ABOUT Author
fjrigjwwe9r0pp_Books:aboutAuthor
Arpita
Basu Roy is an expert in International Relations. She works on South and
Central Asia, with Afghanistan being her area of expertise. A Ph.D. in
International Relations from Jadavpur University and a Pavate Wrangler Fellow
at Cambridge University, her research interests include human security, gender
issues, population movement, transitional politics and Indian foreign
policy. She was a Fellow at the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian
Studies, Kolkata (MAKAIAS) and is currently Senior Fellow at the Centre for
Studies in International Relations and Development, Kolkata (CSIRD).
She can be reached at basuroyarpita@gmail.com.