The Hindu Editorial on Taliban Ceasefire
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Page 1 War and talks: The Hindu Editorial on Taliban ceasefire2 India’s Chabahar Dilemma5 BRICS one of the most valuable and working partnership: Shri Prakash Javadekar9 Fear of rivers drives China to tame even Mekong river11 NEP drops ‘Chinese’ from language list13 Arab world’s first nuclear plant achieves criticality15 The US is belatedly facing up to the ugly truth about shifty China17 China suspends treaty with New Zealand19 India strengthens troop presence in northern Ladakh, heavy tanks deployed21 Centre weighs steps to pile more pressure on?Beijing23 India calls Pak move to include J&K in new map as ‘politically absurd’25 India’s move on Article 370 is ‘illegal and invalid’, says China27 India cancels Chinese smart meters contract, snap bids to be called shortly29 Pakistan’s cartographic absurdity31 India rejects China’s UNSC move on Kashmir32 Cartographic challenge: The Hindu Editorial on Pakistan’s new map34 A new direction for India-U.S. ties37 The Rajapaksas cement power in Sri Lanka42 India, China Major Generals discuss Depsang43 China-US ties plunge further over Hong Kong sanctions45 Isolating China, as proposition and the reality47 The WHO’s relevance is fading51 Indian, Afghan officials discuss Loya Jirga54 A self-reliant foreign policy56 UAE, Israel reach agreement to establish diplomatic ties59 India announces $500 mn package for the Maldives61 India bars China ships from oil trade as ties strain further63 India announces USD 500 million assistance for major connectivity project in Maldives65 India hails UAE-Israel pact, reiterates Palestine cause67 Iran, Turkey lash out at UAE over Israel deal69 Gaps in the casting of India’s foreign policy71 The council of elders75 Indian, Nepalese diplomats discuss bilateral projects77 India’s geopolitical interests are in close alignment with moderate Arab centre79 'Ready to work with India to enhance mutual trust': China reacts to PM's I-Day speech82 Sri Lanka to draft new Constitution84 India and Mexico: Celebrating 70 Years of Diplomatic Relations86 China-Russia ties as a major determinant88 Formalising a known reality92 Troubled waters: on EU-Turkey relations95 Page 2 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2020-08-01 WAR AND TALKS: THE HINDU EDITORIAL ON TALIBAN CEASEFIRE Relevant for: International Relations | Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed & developing countries on India's interests The Taliban’s decision to cease fire for three days during Id-ul-Adha has come as a relief for Afghans who have seen unabated violence despite a peace agreement between the insurgents and the U.S. This is the third official respite since the war started in 2001. In June 2018 and May this year, the Taliban had briefly ended hostilities to mark the end of the holy month of Ramzan. On both occasions, it refused to extend the ceasefire, returning to war as soon as the celebrations were over. This time, however, hopes are high that the truce could be extended as Kabul and the insurgents are preparing to launch the intra-Afghan talks that were promised in the U.S.-Taliban deal. According to the pact, talks were to begin in March. But both sides failed to reach an agreement on prisoner exchange, which the U.S. had agreed with the Taliban. The insurgents complained that the government was not complying with the terms of the agreement, while officials of the Ashraf Ghani administration said the Taliban’s demands were unacceptable. Finally, President Ghani decided to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, which was followed by the Taliban’s ceasefire announcement. Both sides have now agreed to kick-start talks after Id and they could do it in a peaceful environment if the ceasefire is extended. While the cessation of hostilities is welcome, there are underlying issues that continue to plague the peace process. When the U.S. entered into talks with the insurgent group, it did not insist on a ceasefire. So the Taliban continues to engage in war and talks simultaneously. Worse, the Americans, badly looking for a way out of the conflict, kept the Afghan government out of the peace process. After the U.S.-Taliban agreement was signed in February, according to which the U.S. agreed to pull out its troops in return for security assurances from the Taliban, the onus was on a weakened Afghan government to start talks even as the Taliban continued attacks. According to the government, 3,560 government troops and 775 civilians have been killed in conflict since the deal was signed. Also, infighting made matters worse for the government. Last year’s presidential election saw a record low turnout. The results, announced months later, were contested by the main Opposition candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, who formed a parallel administration. He backed off, but only after being appointed the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation that will lead talks with the Taliban. These factors allowed a resurgent Taliban to maintain the upper hand — in war and in talks. This will be the government’s key challenge when its representatives and that of the Taliban, which sees itself as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan and has not recognised the country’s Constitution, would be holding talks. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. To getcrackIAS.com full access, please subscribe. Already have an account ? Sign in Start your 14 days trial now. Sign Up Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list. Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly. 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Suresh Nambath Please enter a valid email address. From the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, to the landmark Ayodhya verdict,crackIAS.com 2019 proved to be an eventful year. Subscribe to The Hindu now and get unlimited access. Already have an account? Sign In Start your 14 days trial now Sign Up You can support quality journalism by turning off ad blocker or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to The Hindu. Sign up for a 30 day free trial. Page 4 END Downloaded from crackIAS.com © Zuccess App by crackIAS.com crackIAS.com Page 5 Source : www.idsa.in Date : 2020-08-01 INDIA’S CHABAHAR DILEMMA Relevant for: International Relations | Topic: India - Middle East More from the author India has been a key stakeholder in the development of Iran’s strategic port of Chabahar. A landmark India-Afghanistan-Iran trilateral agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in May 2016. Many important steps have since been taken to speed up the development of the port and realise its full potential. However, growing United States (US)-Iran confrontation and imposition of harsh economic sanctions by the US on Iran under its “maximum pressure” policy has adversely affected New Delhi’s desire to convert its commitments into concrete actions on ground. In the light of the emerging debate in Indian academic and media circles about India’s Chabahar dilemma, it is important to analyse India’s advances as well as challenges in implementing the port project. Chabahar is considered to be of great strategic value to India.1 It not only provides access to Afghanistan but is also a part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking India to Eurasia. To improve regional connectivity with South-West and Central Asia, the lease contract for two terminals and five berths at the Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar was signed in 2016 between Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation (PMO) and Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL), according to which India got the right to take over the operations of the port for 18 months. Phase-I of the Shahid Beheshti Port was inaugurated in early December 2017 by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, opening a new strategic route that connected India, Iran and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.