Mining hope

Two of Indias leading private-sector groups,the Tatas and the Jindals,have formed a consortium with PSUs to bid jointly for iron ore blocks in the Hajigak mines of Afghanistans Bamiyan province,with SAIL leading the consortium. The Afghan government seeks to grant multiple exploration concessions. Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources and the idea of the consortium underscores also Indias international interests. Not only is the prospect of exploration welcome from an industrial and commercial point of view,but it should also be remembered that there are other players with similar interests in Afghanistan. China,for one,is already there.

Against the backdrop of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan,India is not only to be tested in the region but must rise to the challenge. Any question of exploration of the mines in Bamiyan,and the quest for Afghan mineral resources in general,depends on the stability of Afghanistan and the capabilities of the Afghan government and security forces during and after the US withdrawal. While that is the political context,necessary infrastructure is a further imperative the produce evacuation system that calls for rail and road connectivity. The consortium will need to undertake those infrastructure projects. At the moment,the relative merits of the options of Pakistan and Irans Bandar Abbas port are being debated. However,the question of transit inevitably makes the role of Pakistan critical. Right now,there is only one-way transit,with goods from Afghanistan,such as dry fruits,reaching the Indian market through the Wagah border. But mineral resources mean a multiplication of the significance of the traffic from Afghanistan,and Pakistans willingness to allow its movement is far from certain.

In the long run,the three countries India,Afghanistan and Pakistan will have to find ways of working together,for mutual benefit and on the basis of a cooperative arrangement. That is what elevates everything India hopes to do in Afghanistan to the geopolitical and diplomatic level. So far,the Union government has tended to avoid or escape critical decisions,including the defence and national security dimensions of the US retreat. Taking a leaf out of Barack Obamas book,wherein he took a political call on the withdrawal,India needs to awaken its political will to engage with the region.