This refers to Ajai Shukla’s article “Plan E for Afghanistan” (September 5). Shukla’s advice to the US that it should exit from Afghanistan as early as possible and create its strategic bases in central Asian republics would make sense to all those countries that have stakes in a peaceful and united Afghanistan. India should strongly reject the idea of balkanisation of Afghanistan on ethnic grounds. What is perturbing is that India has been unwilling to play a decisive role in Afghanistan ever since the Soviet withdrawal. In the post-cold war world, when such a massive re-configuration of the Af-Pak region is taking place without India’s active involvement, we cannot expect any meaningful outcome from any game plan by the countries involved in the region.
Amit Pradhan, Baroda