The Taliban Debate: Fiery Exchange Between Diplomat and Journalist Over Muttaqi’s Visit
India’s outreach to the Taliban sparks debate — strategic realism or moral compromise? Barkha Dutt discusses this with Ambassador Vivek Katju and journalist Chidanand Rajghatta.
In this episode of The Bottomline with Barkha Dutt, Ambassador Vivek Katju, former Indian diplomat and expert on South Asian affairs, and Chidanand Rajghatta, Senior Journalist and Washington Correspondent, join Barkha Dutt to discuss India’s recent engagement with the Taliban. The conversation unfolds amid Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s controversial visit to New Delhi and his widely debated stop at the Deoband seminary.
Ambassador Katju views India’s outreach as a necessary, long-overdue step in pragmatic diplomacy. He argues that communication with the Taliban is essential to safeguard Indian interests in Afghanistan, especially as Pakistan and China recalibrate their regional influence. Katju also highlights that engagement does not imply endorsement, but strategic realism in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
In contrast, Rajghatta expresses discomfort with India engaging a regime known for suppressing women and minorities. Drawing parallels with past U.S. dealings with the Taliban, he warns against moral compromise in the name of security or resource strategy.
Katju, while acknowledging the Taliban’s oppressive record, points out the global hypocrisy of condemning the Taliban but tolerating similar practices by affluent Middle Eastern allies. He stresses that India’s interaction must be carefully monitored and halted if it threatens national security.
Concluding the discussion, Barkha Dutt notes that diplomacy today often demands a balance between values and realpolitik — and India’s current approach reflects that uneasy but strategic compromise.
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