India's Afghan crisis

Its options have narrowed as the Taliban advances

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s back-to-back meetings on Afghanistan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation take place this week against the backdrop of a crisis for India, created by an inchoate policy towards the country’s north-western neighbour. An ill-judged initial refusal to engage formally with the Taliban, the failure to build a viable politico-military opposition in anticipation of the US departure and a reliance on soft power has, in effect, delivered Afghanistan to Pakistan and its powerful sponsor, China. This much was clear from the steady progress of the Taliban from its bases in Pakistan towards Kabul to overthrow