India is in a unique position to bridge the gulf on Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, winter is coming. Almost three months after the Taliban dramatically seized power, governance remains at a standstill. There is a humanitarian crisis due to hunger and famine. Those who wanted to play the new “great game” over the dead bodies of ordinary Afghans are still counting the consequences of the spillover effects of the rapidly deteriorating security situation. There have been no victors in this appalling dynamic despite initial chest-thumping in some regional capitals. The United States (US) may have the luxury of moving on but regional players have to come to terms with the new realities of a highly volatile regional milieu. As New Delhi convenes a meeting of national security advisers (NSAs) across the region under the chairmanship of Ajit Doval at the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan, India is clearly signalling that it has no intention of giving up on its role as a key interlocutor on the issue.