Indian PM to lay foundation stone for Afghanistan's parliament

Indian PM to lay foundation stone for Afghanistan's parliament
14.08.2005 NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone for Afghanistan's Parliament building, a gesture more than symbolic for the two nations.

That the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy will be asked to do the honours seems natural, but Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's choice also shows the distance the two nations have travelled in recent times.

The fact that the task of building the Afghan parliament has fallen on India's Central Public Works Department may also be another reason why Singh will be asked to lay the foundation stone.

Singh is scheduled to be in Afghanistan between August 27 and 29. The visit itself will make history of sorts as Singh will be the first Indian Prime Minister in almost four decades to travel to Afghanistan. Indira Gandhi had last gone there in 1969.

The political uncertainties in Afghanistan had almost put an unofficial ban on any high-level visit from India.

In the recent past, though, a number of foreign ministers from Delhi have visited Afghanistan. It began with Jaswant Singh, followed by Yashwant Sinha and, early this year, by K. Natwar Singh.

Karzai and almost all the key figures in his cabinet have come to India several times in the past few years.

Apart from Kabul, Singh may also visit Jalalabad. But it will be finalised at the last minute depending on the security situation.

For India, regaining a foothold in Afghanistan is important. Not only because Delhi and Kabul have had strong historical and cultural links but also because it helps both sides to send out a strong political message, particularly to Pakistan. The role Islamabad played in the past to aid jihadis and help the Taliban take control of the country is a lesson that neither Karzai nor the Indian leadership will forget in a hurry.

When the Taliban was in power in Kabul, India had sided with the Panjsheri-dominated Northern Alliance. In the months after the 9/11 attack and the US-backed military action, India was one of the first countries to move in to help Karzai rebuild the war-ravaged country.

India has committed more than half a billion dollars in Afghanistan. It has also trained Afghan diplomats, policemen and other staff members on running an efficient government.

Security issues, especially the regrouping of the Taliban and al Qaida along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, are likely to be discussed during Singh's visit.

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