“The Fall of Kabul: Despatches from Chaos” Nayanima Basu
On Thursday, 15 May 2025, the Indian Foreign Minister, Mr. S. Jaishankar tweeted that he had spoken to the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. As NDTV reported, by speaking with the Taliban foreign minister, Jaishankar had scripted history.
One of the responses to this conversation that stood out was that of journalist and author Nayanima Basu. She posted a long post on Facebook on Friday, 16 May 2025. I am reproducing the text here:
Four years can significantly affect public memory. When the Taliban returned to power in Kabul on 15 August 2021, global reactions were largely negative, including from India, which promptly shut down its embassy in Kabul and revoked valid visas for Afghans, including those traveling to India for higher studies under ICCR scholarships and medical treatment.
The Indian government, despite multiple requests from former Afghan diplomats and ministers, did not provide temporary refuge to these individuals. Consequently, Afghan students and patients were left in a difficult situation as India prioritized security and viewed the Taliban as an adversary.
I was in Kabul and also in other key cities of Afghanistan in August 2021. Reporting from ground zero I witnessed first-hand how the situation was rapidly evolving as the U.S. withdrawal concluded in the most chaotic manner, marking the end of their longest war. I reported that many Afghans, excluding the elite in Kabul, were preparing to adjust to the Taliban’s return. But they knew India will remain their steadfast friend, no matter what.
Subsequently, I wrote several analyses discussing and advocating the importance of India reassessing its stance towards the Taliban, highlighting that significant global changes have occurred since the Taliban’s previous rule in the 1990s. I also wrote in my book (The Fall Of Kabul : Despatches From Chaos) why India needs to engage with the Taliban, including addressing issues such as women’s education and the implications of regional dynamics, particularly regarding Pakistan.
Read one of my pieces from August 2023 that explores the potential benefits of re-establishing people-to-people ties with Afghanistan in light of these challenges. For further insight, read my book (Available both online and in bookstores globally).
I endorse her book too. It is very well written. It won the debut writer’s prize at AutHer Awards 2025. (Read more here and here.)
As the Literary Director, AutHer Awards, I was pleased that a new voice had been discovered and recognised. I hope Nayanima Basu will write more reportage and publish books regularly. We need balanced and nuanced voices to write about moments in history as we live through them. It is easy to be swayed by popular sentiment, but Nayanima Basu’s commentaries are worth reading in real time. They have gravitas.
Good luck to Nayanima!
16 May 2025
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