The Taliban!
Yes, the same Taliban once described in international forums as terrorists, medieval-minded extremists, and enemies of women’s rights. Suddenly, they’re on our guest list, sipping tea, holding press conferences (without inviting women, of course), and flashing diplomatic smiles—all because we want to get back at Pakistan.
You see, our foreign policy has begun to look like our political one—anything goes, as long that party can come into power! Yesterday’s foe is today’s ally, tomorrow’s ally becomes yesterday’s scandal. It’s a merry-go-round of convenience.
With the Taliban ruling Afghanistan, the world recoils in horror at public floggings, blown-up statues, and girls barred from schools.
In a bomb blast in a medical camp, Mano, a young Indian, I knew in my childhood was killed with many others.
Today, our diplomats politely look away, clearing throats as Taliban spokesmen declare, “We will respect women’s rights as per Islamic law.” And we nod sagely, pretending that means the same thing as our law.
“Realpolitik,” say the experts. “Strategic leverage,” murmur the analysts. But I call it what it is—moral acrobatics. We bend, twist, and contort so much, one wonders if we need a new yoga asana for the foreign minister called The Diplomatic Truth Twist!
Our friendship with the Taliban is not built on shared values or humanitarian concern—it’s built on spite. Pure, unfiltered, neighbourly spite. If Pakistan sneezes, we’ll shake hands with the flu virus just to prove a point. “You are terrorists?” we used to say. Now it’s more like, “Come over.”
What’s truly tragic is that this isn’t even shocking anymore for our people.
We’re getting used to seeing contradictions, dressed up as courage. Look at our politics—parties that once accused each other of corruption, fascism, or betrayal now share the same stage, smiling for cameras like long-lost brothers at a family reunion.
So why should foreign policy be any different? Hypocrisy at home is bound to spill over the borders. We’re no longer a nation that stands by the truth—we just stand wherever what we do abroad gets us votes at home, or doesn’t allow us to lose an election.
Somewhere in Kabul, I imagine a Taliban leader chuckling. “We used to be the bad guys,” he says to his comrades. “Now we’re photo opportunities with the Indians!”
Truth, that ancient relic, has long been buried under the rubble of our strategic partnerships. If you find anyone among our 1.4 billion who still believes in it, please introduce them to me—I’d like to shake their hand before they’re declared “anti-national.”
So here we are—posing for selfies with yesterday’s monsters and calling it diplomacy. And as the world watches in disbelief, I can almost hear them whisper: “Can we trust India, with friends like these?”
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