Taliban era begins

As the last of the American troops leave, the Taliban, Daesh and Pakistan (in an understated way) will, in my opinion, continue to join forces to trouble the US, Western democracies and countries like India.

Extremist groups like Taliban, Daesh, etc., do not accept the western democratic way of life and a predominantly Hindu India. They abhor education, women’s uplift, free media, independent thought, etc. So, the extremists will be in perpetual battle.

Their leaders and players of the extremist groups may change, but the ideological struggle will continue, as it has, for many centuries.

Pakistan has always floundered between a small educated minority and a vast fanatical and ideologically impacted population. The educated elite of Pakistan, frustrated with the domestic uncertainties, prefers to work as expatriates in the US, Europe and the middle eastern countries.

Pakistan has faced an identity crisis for decades. I was expecting Prime Minster Imran Khan to shed the shackles of the past and build a modern Pakistan, free of rancor. However, by proclaiming the victory of the Taliban over the US, as the American troops depart, he too has shown that even idealists and modernists can have clay feet. Sad.

It has been a serious error for the US to have exited the region. Super-powers like US, Russia, have the responsibility to maintain global peace and harmony, whether directly or via a global policing force, e.g. NATO, etc. This is their responsibility and they cannot flee from it. Otherwise, we will have groups of extremists running various rogue nations.

So, we are in for uncharted times.

Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India