Moment of crisis

Sir — The Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan, nearly 20 years after being ousted by a military coalition led by the United States of America. This development in Afghanistan poses a grave threat to the world. The Taliban are infamous for denying education to women, carrying out public executions of their opponents, persecuting minorities and for having destroyed the priceless ancient giant statues of the Buddha. The rash decision of the US president, Joe Biden, to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan has led to a humanitarian catastrophe in the country.

A new Taliban regime will be a disaster — it has a history of executions, torturing women, and shutting down schools. The group is likely to support other extremists — there is no guarantee that Afghanistan would not once again become a safe haven for outfits such as the al-Qaida and the Islamic State. As in the past, they may try to cause harm to foreign countries. In fact, the Taliban in Afghanistan could also strengthen the militant groups in Pakistan, which are causing trouble in the country.

But it is impossible for Pakistan to support the Taliban and maintain good relations with Washington. China has promised big investments in different projects in Afghanistan. According to reports, it is ready to formally recognize the Taliban. The Taliban rule in Afghanistan could jeopardize India’s peace and security as well, especially if it supports insurgent groups in regions as volatile as Kashmir.

Venu G.S.,
Kollam, Kerala

Sir — With the fall of Kabul and the flight of the outgoing president, Ashraf Ghani, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan seems to be almost complete. The Afghan forces could not resist the advances of the Taliban; they crumbled like a house of cards. In fact, it has been reported that many Afghan soldiers readily handed over their weapons to the Taliban and joined their ranks. The United Nations has urged the Taliban ‘to show restraint to protect lives’.

The Afghan special forces may now find it hard to fight back. The withdrawal of the American troops has clearly hastened the Taliban’s return to power. This has drawn parallels with US troops getting out of Vietnam. The Taliban claim that their return to power was made possible by the ‘uprising’ of the people.

The visuals of human figures clambering up the ladder and clinging on to the sides of a plane standing on the tarmac at the Kabul airport, the crowds running alongside a US military plane as well as reports of five persons being killed by gunfire at the airport are reflective of the chaos marking the transition of power in the country.

While laying out their future plans, the Taliban have promised ‘serenity’ and to build an ‘inclusive Afghan Islamic government’. But only their conduct will show if they have changed and become less rigid — the Taliban have not explicitly stated that girls and women would not be discriminated against and denied education or jobs. They have not made it clear how they plan to treat ethnic minorities either. By securing stability in the region and becoming less stringent in imposing religious laws, they can change their perception of being an entity with a hard-line attitude and become more acceptable.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Having taken over the reins of power, the Taliban juggernaut is finally trampling on Afghanistan. This onslaught has put the US in an embarrassing position, given that its intelligence agencies had predicted the siege of Kabul in 90 days. A Taliban spokesperson recently spoke of the outfit’s appreciation of India’s involvement in the development of Afghanistan. India must tread carefully.

K. Nehru Patnaik,
Visakhapatnam

Step up

Sir — As always, Indian athletes who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics were heaped with praise. But few paid attention to ones who got close to a podium finish but failed — for instance, the golfer, Aditi Ashok, missed the bronze, as did the wrestler, Deepak Punia. It is, therefore, heartening that Tata Motors has decided to felicitate such promising sportspersons by gifting them one of its premium cars. It would be further helpful if such major companies also stepped up to sponsor the training of athletes in need of support. This might help the country clinch more medals next time.

Jyotsna Ray,
Calcutta