About the Book

Sixteen top-notch academicians, generals and young scholars were invited to discuss the topic 'American Withdrawal from Afghanistan in December 2014: Post-withdrawal Puzzle of Policy Options for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan' post-American withdrawal from Afghanistan scenario after December 2014 and puzzle of policy options for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Obviously, the US, Russia and China are compulsive players in the game. Bharat Karnad thinks that the new regime of Ghani-Abdullah with a “sufficiently weakened” Taliban as a military force should help to consolidate democratic framework. An Afghan scholar, Mohammad Ata Roshangar sees democracy taking roots in his country with propelled by an urban educated class with improved conditions of health, life and economy economic, health and living conditions, this class has developing a vested interest in the development and success of democracy ,and situation cannot be reversed any longer by internal conflicts can no longer reverse this situation. Others like P.M. Kamath ask Pakistan to give up the futile pursuit of attaining strategic depth inwith Afghanistan; Tej Pratap Singh sees keeping India out from Afghanistan as the foremost strategic objective of Pakistan. Sudhir Singh is not too far when he states that Pakistan's policy in Afghanistan has turned it a much hated country. Kavita Sharma, Navshikha Duara, Amruta Deshmukh say Pakistan is following zero-sum-game foreign policy in Afghanistan wherein any gain for India is treated as loss for Pakistan. Lt. Gen. Kamath and Lt. Gen. Shekatkar with direct experience in the war theatre highlight perfidious role of Pakistan in promoting terror against Afghanistan and lay certain policy guidelines for India and the US to checkmate re-emergence of Taliban and Terrorism in Afghanistan. Arvind Kumar and Arpita Basu Roy strongly advocate a regional solution to the Afghan puzzle; Senior scholar R. G. Gidadhubli discusses come-back opportunity for Russia, while Subhadeep Bhattacharya delineates inroads made by China in Afghanistan. Dilip Mohite while looks ing at Afghanistan in the South Asian context, and B.N. Mehrish examines limited role of the UN. This book is a timely addition to the growing literature on current Afghanistan situation. It will be certainly very useful for policy-makers, academicians and the general public interested in International Relations.

About the Author

Dr. P. M. Kamath is the Chairman and Hon. Director of VPM's Centre for International Studies (Regd.), Mumbai. He retired as Professor of Politics from Bombay University after twenty five years of distinguished service. He has authored or edited eighteen books and published over a hundred research papers in National and International journals. Dr. Kamath is an authority on national security, security policy-making in the US and India and International Politics. He was recipient of many research fellowships in India and abroad. He was awarded Fulbright fellowship twice; first time to work in the School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, Washington, DC and the second time in the National Security Studies Programme, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Currently he is also the Managing Trustee of Indian Association of American Studies and Adjunct Professor, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations in Manipal University, Manipal.

Table of Contents:
Preface 7 List of Contributors 9 1. Introduction 11 P.M. Kamath 2. The Verities of Afghanistan and India’s Options 23 Bharat Karnad 3. Global Jihad/Terrorism: New Challenge to World 31 Peace and Stability: A Philosophical Analysis D.B. Shekatkar 4. The American Withdrawal from Afghanistan 2014: 39 Impact on Strategic Mosaic of South Asia Dilip Mohite 5. Afghanistan and Regional Peace Building: Myth 69 and Reality Arpita Basu Roy 6. Russia Returns to Afghanistan-Challenges Persist 85 R.G. Gidadhubli 7. The Afghan Crisis: An Appraisal of UN’s Role in 93 Combating Taliban Insurgency B.N. Mehrish 8. ‘State of Afghanistan after 2014 and the Policy 111 Options for India and China Subhadeep Bhattacharya 9. NATO Troops Withdrawal from Afghanistan and 125 Its Implications for Regional Peace and Stability Arvind Kumar 10. The Future of Democracy in Afghanistan 135 Mohammad Atta Roshangar 11. Pakistan’s Perspective in Afghanistan: Policy 145 Options for India Tej Pratap Singh 12. Pakistan’s Search for Strategic Depth in 161 Afghanistan P. M. Kamath 13. US Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Implications for 173 India and the Way Ahead Kavita Sharma 14. Pakistan’s Afghan Policy in Post-2014 Scenario: 187 Options for India Sudhir Singh 15. Post-2014: Likely Relapse of Afghanistan to 203 Terrorism? India’s Options P.G. Kamath 16. Stability under Threat: Post-US Withdrawal 219 from Afghanistan Navasikha Duara 17. Indian Perception of the American Withdrawal 233 from Afghanistan in December 2014: Developmental Issues and Related Policy Options Amruta Deshmukh Appendix 243 Seminar Report 249 Anand V and Vineeth Krishnan Index 253