• 28 March, 2024
Geopolitics & National Security
MENU

Need For an Afghan Regiment

ASHOK IYER
Thu, 16 Sep 2021   |  Reading Time: 4 minutes

One of the biggest causes of concern for the international community, post the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, is the endless flow of refugees from that chaotic, war-torn country. The visuals of some of these refugees falling off from planes or being murdered by the, Pakistan backed, barbaric Taliban are extremely painful to watch. Although the plight of these refugees is highly piteous, the economic effects of the Covid pandemic has largely diminished the abilities of various nations to absorb these refugees. Nevertheless, it is the humane and moral responsibility of all civilized nations to support these refugees.

Despite the economic setback on account of the Covid pandemic, the Indian economy is bouncing back rapidly and is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Based on various media reports there are approximately around 15,000–20,000 Afghan refugees in India. On account of India’s close ties with the Afghan populace, it would be a good idea to increase our intake of these to the 50,000–75,000 mark. Of course, needless to say that, despite our recovering economy, it would be a tad difficult to bear the cost of hosting these refugees. However if this idea is planned and handled carefully, we could turn it to our advantage.

On the one hand we could appeal to the US and the west and various international institutions to provide us with financial and other aid in order to support these refugees. Given India’s substantial global clout, I’m sure we can be quite successful in securing the necessary aid for these refugees. On the other hand, it’s imperative that these refugees are beneficially integrated into the Indian economy by providing them with suitable jobs. The main problem, in this regard, is the presence of an enormous pool of skilled and semi-skilled labour in India which will make it difficult for the Afghan refugees to secure suitable employment in the country. Nevertheless, this is an ideal opportunity for us to turn this problem into an advantage.

These Afghan refugees have some intrinsic attributes that can work in our favour. Firstly, all of them have an immense hatred towards Pakistan on account its numerous endeavours at destroying Afghanistan by supporting various terrorist groups including the barbaric Taliban. Secondly these Afghans have spent decades in a war-ravaged scenario and hence can adapt to extremely tough physical and mental conditions. Thirdly, on account of poor economic progress in their country, most of these Afghans (at least the males) are battle-hardened and can be converted into fierce soldiers. Fourthly, most of the Afghan populace have a lot of affection and respect for India.

There are numerous regiments in the Indian army and each one of them is unparalleled in its bravery and fighting abilities. So, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if we were to add one or more Afghan Regiments in the Indian Army. Many of these Afghan refugees, both males and females, could be recruited into these Afghan regiments and could be inculcated with the necessary skills in fighting and other key technical areas. This way, these refugees would be gainfully employed and at the same time we’ll have an additional supply of top quality soldiers and technical personnel which we can use to counter Pakistan and perhaps, even China. I mean, China has a substantial hand in the destruction of Afghanistan by its support for the Taliban, both direct and through Pakistan. So, these Afghan refugees would be justified in their unprejudiced hatred towards both Pakistan and China. If required, we can organize motivational classes for these refugees in order to enhance their hatred for these countries and also to ensure that this hatred and anger simmers at all times. Remember, a highly motivated soldier is one of the biggest assets in a war.

On account of international financial aid for these refugees, the financial burden on the Indian exchequer will be minimum whereas the benefits from these refugees could be maximized by the optimal utilization of their abilities. For instance, they could be added to the frontline on our border with Pakistan or China where they can be used to make proactive aggressive advancements into enemy territory. Alternatively, they could be moved to Iran or Tajikistan from where they could provide support to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and/or The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) thus creating major problems for our primary enemies. These soldiers can also be useful in case of a multi-dimensional invasion of Pakistan or China. Of course, these Afghan regiment soldiers should be treated at par with Indian soldiers and should receive the same love and respect as their Indian counterparts. The same should also apply to the family members, of these soldiers, who have settled in India.

Over the past few decades countries around the world have proactively encouraged the use of recycled materials in all production processes. This helps in cutting costs and also has pro-environmental effects. Loosely based on that principle, I believe, recycling refugees into frontline warriors is definitely justified as it’s beneficial to everybody. From the refugee’s point of view, they get a new home and a job that optimizes their talents and abilities. It also secures a bright and prosperous future for their children and their family as a whole. From the Indian point of view, given our precarious neighbourhood and the highly untrustworthy neighbours on our northern and western fronts, this additional firepower can enable us to put these malevolent neighbours on the back foot. Additionally, the financial burden of these refugees is minimum on account of international aid support. If required, we can loan these soldiers to our allies to help them in other battles. This could be an useful tool to secure international aid for these refugees.

I admit that, morally speaking, the whole idea is in an extremely grey area, leaning more towards the black side but when it comes to the safety and security of our country, the only rule is that there are no rules.



Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Chanakya Forum. All information provided in this article including timeliness, completeness, accuracy, suitability or validity of information referenced therein, is the sole responsibility of the author. www.chanakyaforum.com does not assume any responsibility for the same.


Chanakya Forum is now on . Click here to join our channel (@ChanakyaForum) and stay updated with the latest headlines and articles.

Important

We work round the clock to bring you the finest articles and updates from around the world. There is a team that works tirelessly to ensure that you have a seamless reading experience. But all this costs money. Please support us so that we keep doing what we do best. Happy Reading

Support Us
Or
9289230333
Or

POST COMMENTS (5)

ASHOK IYER

Sep 22, 2021
Sandeep Singhji, I’m no expert in middle-east history but if you look at the Philistine army in Jordan story, it was a far more complicated matter than my suggestion of one or more Afghan regiments in India. If you perceive that issue logically, annexation of the West Bank by Jordan led to a drastic change in its demography as it resulted in Palestinians comprising two thirds of the Jordanian population. Secondly, on account of inter-Arab bickering and complicated Arab politics, the Palestinians had a lot of support from other Arab countries in the region. However, the point to be noted is that, there was no unity among the Palestinians. Even today, although the Palestinians share a common hatred towards Israel, there is no unity amongst them. The same rule applies to the Afghans. They hate foreign forces in their territory but they are not united amongst themselves. Yes India doesn’t have a common border with Afghanistan but then this/these regiment(s) are not meant to be formed to attack Afghanistan. Pakistan and China are our main targets. Personally speaking, for me, the life of one Indian soldier is worth more than that of a hundred non-Indian soldiers. So, if these Afghan soldiers are pushed ahead of Indian soldiers in any future battle, the precious lives of many Indian soldiers can be saved. These soldiers can also be airlifted to Iran or Tajikistan so that they can create problems for our enemies from that side. Of course, just like the Palestinian terrorists turned against King Hussein of Jordan, there is a chance that some of these Afghan regiment soldiers may turn against India. In such a scenario, they’ll be thwarted by other members of their unit because of the lack of unity and also the fact that India is taking good care of them and their families and the dire consequences of any such traitorous behaviour on their families in India will keep them in check. Secondly, such rebels can’t count on much Arab support because major Arab powers like Saudi Arabia, UAE etc. have invested heavily in India and will not act against Indian interests. Thirdly the traditional Afghan belief of not biting the hand that feeds you, might keep them in check. For arguments sake, taking a worst case scenario, if the entire regiment(s) turn against India, we have substantial military might to squash such rebels without even bothering to get out of bed. As I mentioned in my article, any such idea should be planned and handled carefully in order to ensure minimum damage to India and Indian interests.

Sandeep Singh

Sep 21, 2021
Afghan Regiment in India has nothing to do in and from India. India is not a border country of Afghanistan. Secondly in history it did not work, for example Philistine army in Jordan. If some kind of covert operation of fighting force is developed in Afghanistan or their bordering country may help India interest.

ASHOK IYER

Sep 16, 2021
Rishabh, that’s why I clearly mentioned that “the idea should be planned and handled carefully.” As far as the motivation to fight is concerned, we will be taking good care of their families in India so, if they don’t want to fight then they and their families stand to lose all material benefits offered by India and the same rule applies if they choose to tamely surrender. In any case, we can always replace them with new Afghan recruits. The important thing is that utilization of these Afghan recruits will help save the lives of a lot of India soldiers because if it weren’t for these recruits then the Indian soldiers would have to step into the danger zone and do the job themselves. We get a chance to step into new horizons without endangering our soldiers.

Sharvil Uchale

Sep 16, 2021
Excellent Idea there is no rule and moral greater than country and we will make them trained soldiers bearing Democratic Afghanistan flag. We train them as soldiers who will fight for their soil and we'll not make them terrorist like those of Pakistan.

Rishabh

Sep 16, 2021
Sir, including a Afghan regiment can have its cons too: 1) We cant be sure about loyalty of Afghans towards India. 2) the motivation to fight is not very clear to afghans as can be seen from example of Afghan army. They didn't even fought for their own motherland. Can we be sure that they will fight till last breath, and not just surrender? 3)There might be some maybe a few among the refugees, who would have been inspired by the Taliban ideology and their entry into Indian army can prove as an asset to Pakistan.

Leave a Comment