India’s Taliban Dilemma: Navigating Strategic and Normative Commitments
(2021–2026)

Pranay Kumar Shome; Dr. Prerana Bhaduli

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.005

Title: India’s Taliban Dilemma: Navigating Strategic and Normative Commitments (2021–2026)
Authors: Pranay Kumar Shome and Dr. Prerana Bhaduli
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 10 Publication Date: October 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.005
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Pranay Kumar Shome1 and Dr. Prerana Bhaduli2 1. PhD scholar in Political Science, Department of Political Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India. 2. Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India.
MLA 8 Shome, Pranay Kumar, and Dr. Prerana Bhaduli. "India’s Taliban Dilemma: Navigating Strategic and Normative Commitments (2021–2026)." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 10, Oct. 2026, pp. 5445-5456, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.005. Accessed Oct. 2026. APA 6 Shome, P., & Bhaduli, D. (2026, October). India’s Taliban Dilemma: Navigating Strategic and Normative Commitments (2021–2026). Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(10), 5445-5456. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.005 Chicago Shome, Pranay Kumar, and Dr. Prerana Bhaduli. "India’s Taliban Dilemma: Navigating Strategic and Normative Commitments (2021–2026)." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 10 (October 2026), 5445-5456. Accessed October, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.005.
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ABSTRACT: The Taliban group’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021 generated significant problems for India. Any form of relationship with the group entailed important strategic, political, and normative costs. The ensuing conditions sharpened the policy contradictions for New Delhi in dealing with a regime whose ideological orientation and conduct remained antithetical to India’s secular values, making unbridled engagement a matter of considerable controversy. India’s pressing security, diplomatic, and social capital needs, however, made complete shunning of the group well nigh impossible. Against this backdrop, this article examines India's relationship with Taliban group during its second stint in power over a five-year period (2021– 2026) through the theoretical perspectives of Kautilyan realism and ethical realism. While Kautilyan realism explains India's strategic adaptation, particularly in relation to security, political influence, and strategic flexibility, Ethical realism provides an account of the moral constraints and political responsibilities associated with such engagement. The paper further argues that India's post-2021 approach reflects the pursuit of a balanced statecraft where strategic engagement, humanitarian assistance, and security considerations have been combined with continued moral reservations regarding the Taliban's conduct. The approach, however, does not resolve the tension between strategic interests and normative commitments; rather, it seeks to manage it under conditions of constraint.

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