How India Helped Northern Alliance Against Taliban
Once ‘unconquerable’ valley of Panjshir has also fallen into the hands of the Taliban
The relations between the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and India aren’t camouflaged as the country has backed the anti-Taliban group since 1996.
Former Indian Ambassador to Tajikistan, Raj Muthu Kumar, narrated the story of how India backed the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan to resist the Taliban rule.
The first meeting between the Indian ambassador and Ahmad Shah Massoud, commonly known as the Commander and the Lion of Panjshir, met Raj Muthu Kumar in Dushanbe.
As Massoud could not speak English, Amrullah Saleh, who later became the Vice-President of Afghanistan in the Ghani regime, interpreted for him.
The Commander directly asked for India’s support and listed down the equipment he required to fight the Taliban.
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Muthu Kumar convinced New Delhi that supporting Massoud was like supporting an individual who was fighting against Pakistan.
India then sent all sorts of items and equipment needed by Massoud to resist the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley through his brother Wali Massoud who lived in London.
India also helped the resisting group in maintaining 10 helicopters he had for fighting the Taliban.
India had also gifted 2 Mig-8 helicopters to the Lion of Panjshir between 1996 and 1999.
However, the Indian plans were chopped as Massoud was killed in a suicide attack in September 2001.
It was weeks after his assassination that the US forces invaded Afghanistan, toppling the Taliban government.
After two decades, the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan once again.
Shah Massoud’s son, Ahmad Massoud, resisted the Taliban as they advanced after the withdrawal of the foreign forces.
However, the once ‘unconquerable’ valley of Panjshir has also fallen into the hands of the Taliban.
Owing to its deep relations with Massoud, India is fretting about its future relations with Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.
