TOPIC: GS 2 India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
Pyrrhic victory
What is the news?
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first world leader who wholeheartedly welcomed the Taliban’s capture of Kabul
- It had maintained that it had little leverage on the Taliban to force them to accept a ceasefire and that it backed a political solution in Afghanistan.
- Pakistan said Afghans have “broken the shackles of slavery”, leaving little doubt on where Pakistan stands on the Taliban’s return.
Pakistan Role in Afghanistan
- Pakistan not only played a central role in the Taliban’s rise to power in the 1990s but was also one of the three countries to have had formal diplomatic ties with them.
- It continued to support the Taliban even after they were driven out of power by the U.S. in 2001.
- Its strategic calculus was that a stable Afghanistan backed by the U.S. and India would harm its core interests.
- It hosted the Taliban leadership in Quetta, Balochistan, and allowed their militants to regroup and resume insurgency in Afghanistan.
- The Taliban’s capture of Kabul can be seen as the success of a longterm strategy Pakistan’s military establishment had adopted.
Geo Political Implications
- The geopolitical implications of the Taliban’s victory are still unclear.
- Irrespective of kind of a government they will establish, the resurgence of a Sunni radical jihadist group could embolden similar outfits elsewhere.
- Pakistan has a problem with the TehreekeTaliban Pakistan, the ideological twin of the Taliban, that has carried out deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
Security Implication in Pakistan
- Kabul blasts are a warning of what is awaiting Afghanistan.
- The country is still chaotic and lawless where groups such as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK), the IS affiliate that has claimed responsibility for the blasts, would seek to flourish.
- Without order, the country could fall into a multidirectional, civil war between the Taliban, the ISK, and the remnants of the old regime.
- Overwhelmed by the Taliban’s success, sees the possible dangers the triumph of hardline Islamism now poses.
- Religious extremism and militancy can help one country tactically but will be counterproductive in the long term.
- When the S. backed the Mujahideen in the 1980s, it might never have imagined that the Taliban would rise from the Mujahideen and host the al Qaeda that would carry out the deadliest attack on America since the Second World War.
Way Forward
- Chaotic Afghanistan ruled by extremist Islamists is as much a geopolitical victory as a security and strategic challenge to Pakistan.
- During the insurgency, Pakistan refused to use its leverage over the Taliban for peace.
- It should do now because a stable Afghanistan which treats its people with dignity and does not provide safe havens to transnational terrorist organisations is in the best interests of all regional powers, including Pakistan.
Mains Question
Why religious extremism, militancy in Afghanistan will be counterproductive for Pakistan?
Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/pyrrhic-victory/article36212732.ece
PRELIMS PUNCHERS
- BRICS
It is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs. Since 2009, the governments of the BRICS states have met annually at formal summits. Russia hosted the most recent 12th BRICS summit on 17 November 2020 virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally the first four were grouped as “BRIC” (or “the BRICs”) before the induction of South Africa in 2010.
The BRICS Forum, an independent international organization encouraging commercial, political, and cultural cooperation between the BRICS nations, was formed in 2011. In June 2012, the BRICS nations pledged $75 billion to boost the lending power of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, this loan was conditional on IMF voting reforms .In late March 2013, during the fifth BRICS summit in Durban, South Africa, the member countries agreed to create a global financial institution intended to cooperate with the western-dominated IMF and World Bank. After the summit, the BRICS stated that they planned to finalize the arrangements for this New Development Bank by 2014. However, disputes relating to burden sharing and location slowed down the agreements.
Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/its-time-to-build-brics-better/article36209516.ece
- Niti Valley
Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of Uttarakhand, India. It is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last village in the valley before the border with south Tibet. The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Since then, the border has remained sealed.
The villages in the valley include Lata, Kaga, Dronagiri, Garpak, Malari, Bampa, Gamshali and Niti. They are mostly inhabited by Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand of Chamoli district, namely Marchas, a community of Mongoloid origin, and Tolcchas, both known as Rongpa. The language spoken by Marchas is mix of Tibetan and Garhwali , while Tolcchas speak Garhwali Rongpa. Due to adverse weather conditions in the winter, the villages in the valley are only hospitable for about six to eight months. Villagers migrate to lower regions during the winters. Various medicinal plants and herbs grow in the valley that have been mentioned in the Charak Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda.
Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/morning-digest-august-30-2021/article36170839.ece
- Meghalaya
It is one of the Seven Sister States of northeast India. The state of Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland plateaus, and it is geologically rich. It consists mainly of Archean rock formations. These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium and sillimanite. The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in the West Garo Hills and the Balphakram National Park in the South Garo Hills are considered to be the most biodiversity-rich sites in Meghalaya. In addition, state has three wildlife sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary, and the Baghmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect-eating pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana also called “Me’mang Koksi” in the Garo language.
The central part of the plateau comprising the Khasi Hills has the highest elevations, followed by the eastern section comprising the Jaintia Hills region. The highest point in Meghalaya is Shillong Peak. The Garo Hills region in the western section of the plateau is nearly plain. The highest point in the Garo Hills is Nokrek Peak.
- China opens first roadrail transport link to Indian Ocean
The first shipments on a newly launched railway line from the Myanmar border to the key commercial hub of Chengdu in western China, that provides China a new roadrail transportation channel to the Indian Ocean. A “test cargo” through is being called the China Myanmar New Passage arrived at the Chengdu rail port in Sichuan province
The transport corridor involves a searoadrail link. Goods from Singapore reached Yangon Port, arriving by ship through the Andaman Sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean, and were then transported by road to Lincang on the Chinese side of the MyanmarChina border in Yunnan province. The new railway line that runs from the border town of Lincang to Chengdu, a key trade hub in western China, completes the corridor. The passage connects the logistics lines of Singapore, Myanmar and China, and is currently the most convenient land and sea channel linking the Indian Ocean with southwest China
PRELIMS QUESTION
Qn 1.Consider the following statement with regard to Niti Valley
- It is remote valley located in the northernmost region of Himachal Pradesh
- Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Nepal
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only (b) 2 only
(c).Both (d). None of above
Answer : D
Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of Uttarakhand, India. It is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last village in the valley before the border with south Tibet. The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Since then, the border has remained sealed.
The villages in the valley include Lata, Kaga, Dronagiri, Garpak, Malari, Bampa, Gamshali and Niti. They are mostly inhabited by Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand of Chamoli district, namely Marchas, a community of Mongoloid origin, and Tolcchas, both known as Rongpa. The language spoken by Marchas is mix of Tibetan and Garhwali , while Tolcchas speak Garhwali Rongpa. Due to adverse weather conditions in the winter, the villages in the valley are only hospitable for about six to eight months. Villagers migrate to lower regions during the winters. Various medicinal plants and herbs grow in the valley that have been mentioned in the Charak Samhita, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda
Qn 2.Consider the following statement with regard to Meghalaya
a.It consists mainly of Archean rock formations
b.Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in this state
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only (b) 2 only
(c).Both (d). None of above
Answer : C
It is one of the Seven Sister States of northeast India. The state of Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland plateaus, and it is geologically rich. It consists mainly of Archean rock formations. These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium and sillimanite. The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in the West Garo Hills and the Balphakram National Park in the South Garo Hills are considered to be the most biodiversity-rich sites in Meghalaya. In addition, state has three wildlife sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary, and the Baghmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect-eating pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana also called “Me’mang Koksi” in the Garo language.
The central part of the plateau comprising the Khasi Hills has the highest elevations, followed by the eastern section comprising the Jaintia Hills region. The highest point in Meghalaya is Shillong Peak. The Garo Hills region in the western section of the plateau is nearly plain. The highest point in the Garo Hills is Nokrek Peak.