Electrifying Kabul

Against severe odds,India has built a 202-km transmission line to bring electricity to Afghanistan’s power-starved capital,Kabul. The four-year-long project is notable for a number of reasons. For one,it is a confidence booster. At a time when Indian engineering within our borders (think of the overruns in years and budgets for the Mumbai sea-link) is a study in waste,this project,implemented on war-ravaged foreign shores,will surely boost our confidence. Second,as India begins to punch its weight in the world arena,lighting up Kabul demonstrates our capability. Third,remember that Pakistan had refused to allow heavy equipment meant for the project to travel through its territory,resulting in one of the largest airlifts Afghanistan has seen. With Pakistani allegations over India’s presence in Afghanistan reaching fever pitch,the electricity line showcases Indians as a benevolent presence committed to capacity building in the region.

India’s success also contains larger lessons. Indian involvement in Afghanistan is on the ascent. There is talk of India building an industrial estate which will generate much needed employment for the local population. There is also talk of Indian involvement in food processing,which addresses rural farmlands and a long-term plan to inhibit poppy cultivation. But this involvement has predictably only made Pakistan more argumentative,with Islamabad lobbying diplomatically against India’s assistance. As if on cue,reports indicate that General Stanley McChrystal,the top US commander in Afghanistan,has cautioned that increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures. Should India continue to assist in rebuilding Afghanistan,or should the general’s advice be heeded?

India must of course be sensitive to the inevitability that our increased involvement in Afghanistan could open up Indian installations to attacks — diplomatically and physically. But beyond that,India must not waver from its commitment to build roads,industrial parks and other infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. Of course,India must keep its partners — among them,the United States — fully in the loop,and mount a diplomatic offensive to counter Pakistani fears. This country has deep strategic and humanitarian concerns about the situation in Afghanistan,and its commitment to capacity building needs to be sustained by sharp diplomacy.