In a bold move to assert itself in the Af-Pak region and reduce Pakistan’s room for maneuver, India is finalising a plan to construct a 900-km railway line that will connect Chabahar port in Iran, being built with Indian help, to the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan, the Hindustan Times said on Tuesday.
Chabahar is just 72kms west of Pakistan’s Gwadar port, being built with Chinese help. When completed, this line will throw up both tantalising geo-political and economic opportunities for India as well as potential for bad blood with both friends and foes. According the report, the line will increase Indian leverage in Afghanistan and its strategic presence in the region. In the past, however, New Delhi has refuted Pakistani fears that India is encircling it. It will also give Afghanistan access to the sea, thus, reducing its dependence on Pakistan.
It will open opportunities for Indian companies to explore Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, believed to be worth $1-3 trillion, for mutual benefit. It will also add to the economic rationale for Indian investment in Chabahar. The report said that once the entire network comprising road, rail and port is in place, it can become a launching pad for greater economic and strategic involvement of India in the oil and mineral-rich Central Asia.However, the report said that greater cooperation with Iran in Chabahar will almost certainly upset the Americans, whose support is essential if India is to play a greater role in the region. Based on a note prepared by the Ministry of External Affairs on this subject, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai held a meeting on August 10 with representatives of the ministries of railways and mining, sources told the Hindustan Times.