For India, there was a coincidence of conflicting emotions regarding events in Afghanistan on Saturday. Indian aid worker Judith D’Souza, who had been abducted a month and a half ago from near her office in Kabul, returned to her country safely on Saturday (though BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi has hinted that the kidnap victim was tortured by her captors). If this marked a moment of relief, and gratitude to the Afghan authorities for patiently working for Ms D’Souza’s release from the hands of gangsters, India cannot remain untouched by the fact that Afghanistan experienced one of its worst ever terrorist attacks on the same day.
Suicide bombers hit a peaceful demonstration of the Hazara community, who are Shia, in Kabul and upward of 80 deaths were reported, with scores sustaining serious injuries. The Shia are a small minority in a predominantly Sunni Muslim society. ISIS or Daesh has claimed responsibility while the Taliban have denied they had anything to do with the outrage. The Hazaras have traditionally suffered discrimination but have prospered under the present Afghan Constitution that stipulates equal rights for all citizens, regardless of religion, sect, ethnicity or gender differences.
Until all the facts are known, it will be premature to determine who the perpetrators were. But it is clear that through acts such as the Saturday violence — which is different from the attacks on security personnel or random attacks on civilians — Afghanistan’s enemies are seeking to hurt its sense of national unity. This is at a time when Afghanistan is experiencing political vulnerabilities. We know this in India. Terrorists frequently seek to create a cleavage between communities. As for Daesh, its activities have so far remained confined to the Nangrahar area in eastern Afghanistan, not far from the boundary with Pakistan.
Afghan security officials believe that apart from disgruntled Taliban factions, many in the Daesh in Afghanistan are Pakistanis out to create disturbances. On Sunday, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their horror at the Kabul attack and offered this country’s unstinted support in fighting terrorism. This suggests that our leaders are aware that Afghanistan and India face a security threat from the same quarters. The two countries should coordinate more.
And further, they should not be reactive but take the initiative in eliminating the problem, not just in security terms but also politically. India has an important presence in Afghanistan. This is because the Afghan government and people rush to our protection and defence — as Ms D’Souza’s case shows — and help us maintain our profile of cooperation and friendship in the face of heavy odds, with Pakistan working overtime to subject Indians to terrorist assaults in Afghanistan.
