Dr. Davood Moradian’s Article on India, Afghanistan, and the Return of the Taliban
This article is part of the recently published volume by The Hindu, The Taliban in Afghanistan: Changing Attitudes of India and the World (E-book Edition, November 2025), appearing on pages 64 to 71 of the book
How did India lost Afghanistan?
In this contribution, Dr. Davood Moradian offers a deeper reading of India’s relationship with Afghanistan in the years surrounding the fall of the republic and the resurgence of the Taliban.
Rather than approaching the topic through a narrow geopolitical lens, the article situates India and Afghanistan within a shared historical and cultural space that has long shaped their political imagination. It examines how two decades of partnership, built around development, diplomacy, and a sense of regional possibility, confronted a sudden collapse of constitutional order and a shift toward the realities imposed by the Taliban’s return.
Dr. Moradian revisits India’s choices during this transition, tracing how concerns over security, interests, and political dignity shaped its response. The text reflects on the distance between long-standing aspirations for regional connectivity and the hard limits created by new political structures in Afghanistan. In doing so, it raises questions about strategic responsibility, moral commitments, and the lasting impact of policy decisions made in moments of crisis.
This excerpt is offered to readers who seek a more grounded understanding of how regional actors navigate the complexities of Afghanistan’s current landscape. It invites reflection on the intertwined histories of the two countries and on the challenges that continue to shape their future trajectories.