The Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, on Wednesday backed the U.S. talks with Taliban to bring stability in Afghanistan as long as there are no preconditions.
“Yes, there should be talks with Taliban so long as they do not come out with any preconditions and so long as they are looking at lasting peace in Afghanistan and bringing stability in that country. It is in our interest, in the region’s interest and in Pakistan’s interest. We all want stability,” Gen Rawat said during a discussion on countering terrorism at the Raisina Dialogue.
Change in stance
India had traditionally maintained that there could not be any talks with Taliban, but in an indication of a rethink, it sent two former diplomats to the regional forum on Afghanistan hosted by Russia last November.
Stressing that talks with terrorists or any organisation of that kind has to be without preconditions, General Rawat said: “When you start attaching preconditions, it gives a sense of a notional victory that one or the other side is taking from a position of strength and victory.”
Referring to Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan, he said Pakistan always considered Afghanistan its backyard and so they always wanted a situation there [Afghanistan] which was more favourable to them.
Pakistani response
However, former Pakistan Ambassador Husain Haqqani expressed doubts on the negotiations which he said were efforts to meet half way. He questioned how the 21st century and those want an 8th century find it.
To questions on radicalisation globally and the trend in India, Gen Rawat said it has taken a different form in India. “We see a different form of radicalisation in Jammu and Kashmir. Youth are being radicalised due to a lot of disinformation, misinformation and a lot of false information,” he said.
Stating that radicalisation is happening through the media, General Rawat added, “So long as media keeps giving coverage and focus to terrorist activities, it will stay.”
Continuing on that note, General Rawat added that the ISIS had not been able to find its feet in India in the manner “it has in some other countries, despite the large number of Muslims, is because I think we have rich family values”.
