As far as Afghanistan’s Taliban is concerned, the Darul Uloom seminary in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, is of immense significance, which is why acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi went there last week during his first visit to India.
“It was important for the seminary too because every educational institution prides itself on people who are their alumni,” said Capt. Alok Bansal of the India Foundation. “He is not an alumni, but he is somebody who is actually driven by the thought process which emanates from there.”
Capt. Bansal was a guest on The Gist, analysing the visit of Muttaqi to the Deoband seminary and the message it sends.
“For the Taliban, it was a validation that from the highest seminary … look at the welcome they got … it was a validation for their domestic audience that this leader has succeeded in going to the ultimate seminary as far as the thought process is concerned … it was mutual validation.”
It sends another significant message, that the Taliban may be distancing itself from the Haqqania madarsa in Pakistan, notorious for graduating jihadis for the war in Afghanistan. Capt. Bansal believes that given the current bad blood between the Taliban and Pakistan, some distancing will be there.
The Darul Uloom may be the only seminary that could possibly moderate some of the Taliban’s worst instincts. No other seminary can wield that kind of influence, not the Grand Mufti of Cairo, nor the Wahabi ideology emanating from Saudi Arabia.
For that reason, a visit to Aligarh Muslim University or even Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi would not have worked. The Taliban would have nothing to gain by going to places set up to propagate western education.
“We need to understand that the Taliban is an ideological entity. It has a strong ideology and it has never compromised with its ideology.”
This attitude has important implications. The Taliban will provide safe shelter to anybody who is ideologically aligned with them. That could be the Jaish-e-Mohammad which has targeted India in the past.
It is also the Tehreek-e-Taliban which is waging war against the Pakistani state. It wants to plant the flag of sharia or Islamic law in Pakistan and draws support from the Taliban regime in Kabul.
“The Taliban’s ascent to power provides an ideological boost to all the global jihadi organizations, and that factor is to be appreciated and understood. In light of that, the Indian government has definite short term tactical gains by engaging with Taliban,” Capt Bansal said.
Thirty eight years in journalism, widely travelled, history buff with a preference for Old Monk Rum. Current interest/focus spans China, Technology and Trade. Recent reads: Steven Colls Directorate S and Alexander Frater's Chasing the Monsoon. Netflix/Prime video junkie. Loves animal videos on Facebook. Reluctant tweeter.
