Abandoned country

Kandahar, the second largest city of Afghanistan, has just fallen to Taliban. According to reports coming from Afghanistan, there was nil resistance from the Afghanistan security forces. Security forces have just escaped in their armoured vehicles.

An army, that has no purpose and cause left, will have no morale to fight. Since after the announcement of US withdrawal, the government forces had lost their spirit and were only going through the motions.

Experts are surprised at the ease with which Taliban are capturing Afghanistan cities one by one and the haste with which security forces are surrendering. However, this is not surprising. Numerical superiority can never match an army with a cause.

The situation in Afghanistan is very bad. Taliban are knocking on the doors of citizens and abducting women, children and whoever they find worthy of their attention.

The world has abandoned the people of Afghanistan and has also taken its eyes off the violence that is being wreaked upon innocent citizens.

There is complete hopelessness and desperation on the ground for the common citizens.

The statement coming from Doha meeting has not done anything to kindle hope among Afghanistanis either. It only confirmed the suspicions that the world has chosen to keep its eyes closed.

While the US and NATO forces withdraw their presence from Afghanistan, the country is all set to turn into a sinister war theatre for dominant forces of the region.

US has just extricated itself out of an uncomfortable position in a virtual surrender to the obscurantist Taliban and malicious Pakistani designs.

The stage is now open for China, Russia and Pakistan to make the most of the situation.

Russia and China have already extracted firm assurances from Taliban that they would not act against their interests.

However, the most sinister would be the game that Pakistan and China are now all set to play in Afghanistan.

India needs to remain cautious.

The game that Pakistan and China are playing in Afghanistan, using Taliban, will have wide ramifications for India too.

Russia too may be made a part of that game that Pakistan has planned and China will likely help execute.

India does not have too many reliable friends in the world. It would have to deal with the situation on its own.