Going through what is being called as "The End Game" in Afghanistan is becoming very tough for the Inter national community involved in Afghanistan and led by US, or it may be that it is not yet the end of the game. Though many in international media and politics emphasize that it is now the end of the game in Afghanistan, there are indications that end is yet to come. The fear is that this emphasis should not turn out to be forcefully implemented as there are many factors that do not seem to be going towards their conclusion.
If it is the end, the issues that have been creating problems should be reaching to their conclusions; however, the scenario in Afghanistan is depicting a very different picture. The issues seem to be intermingling, and the ambiguities, uncertainties and current distrust have made optimistic thinking very much difficult. It would not be inappropriate or even critical if someone says that the future is dark, the vision is non-existent and the country is heading towards disorder and disintegration.
A political solution in Afghanistan – which is really important for the integration of Afghan society - is not very close and the present attitude of Afghan government and its Western allies are further hindering the process. The reconciliation with Taliban seems to be out of track and the Afghan people do not appear to be having confidence about the outcome of the ongoing reconciliation process.
Though on many occasions Western decision makers have agreed that a lasting solution for Afghanistan is not through the war; it is political solution alone that has the hope of stability in the country, yet the measures have not been carried out appropriately in the same direction. Instead of the process being participatory and inclusive, it has been the reason of widening the gap between Afghan people and the Western allies and the current situation is making sure that this gap should keep on increasing. Moreover, the process is also widening the gap among the different ethnic groups within the Afghan society – further disintegrating the society.
Though it is not possible that the reconciliation process alone may generate a sort of reintegration within Afghan society, it may, to a certain extent, prove helpful to it, provided that it is handled with prudence. However, at the same time, it must never be forgotten that the reintegration is quite a different phenomenon and require attention and devotion of its own.
It is largely dependent on the political system and socio-economic environment prevalent within Afghan society. For the reintegration of Afghan society it is necessary that all the major social and political groups within the Afghan society must start feeling a sense of attachment with the social, political and economic lives of the country. Keeping this mind, can we confidently say that the ongoing reconciliation process has any role in the reintegration of the society? Won't it, with the present characteristics of being non-participatory and non-Afghanized, lead to further disintegration of society?
The International Crisis Group's (ICG's) report - Talking about Talks: Toward a Political Settlement in Afghanistan, has a very valuable contribution in this regard; "Reconciliation of insurgents, moreover, has erroneously been linked to reintegration without gauging the impact of one on the other. Rather than confronting key structural defects, including the imbalances in the distribution of power at local and national levels and addressing past abuses, the Afghan government, with tacit international agreement, views the reconciliation process as a matter of cutting deals.
Under the Obama administration, the two concepts have, in turn, been haphazardly linked to the withdrawal timetable. The hope is that against all odds a deal will somehow be stitched up in time for the departure of combat troops in 2014. Little is likely to be gained, however, from short-term, pay-to-play programs, while external actors continue to exert control over the main means of supplying the armed opposition. For most combatants, whatever their ideological persuasion, joining the fight is the shortest route to financial gain and enhanced socio-political status. Chances are slim that reintegration efforts will hold, while barriers to participation in political and economic life remain so high for so many."
The reintegration of the Afghan society is only possible through a separate process – it can neither be the outcome of a miracle nor the result of the ongoing reconciliation process alone. At the present scenario, even it seems improbable that the reconciliation process may reach to any sort of viable agreement with Taliban, let alone the integration of the entire nation. For reintegration to happen it is necessary to bring about some very basic structural changes within the Afghan political setup. One of the most basic of them is a true democracy within the country that has the capacity to represent different ethnic and minority groups appropriately so that heterogeneous Afghan society must be integrated within a single whole.
Different ethnic and minority groups will not be integrated within the society if they are kept away from participating within the affairs of the country and the most crucial decisions of the nation. Therefore, it can be said that the reintegration process is a two-fold process. Along with making these groups the part of the ongoing reconciliation process, there have to be important political amendments within a short span of time; otherwise, neither reintegration will take place nor will reconciliation produce any fruitful outcome.
In fact, the reintegration of Afghan society is a phenomenon that is much wider than the reconciliation process. For it to happen; there has to be consistent efforts and a true democratic system assisted with socio-economic stability and cultural integration.
However, it cannot be said that reconciliation process, which is narrower in scope, is totally ineffective on the Afghanistan's reintegration. Rather, at the moment, it is one of the factors that will have a very important influence on the future of reintegration process in Afghanistan but it is important that the process must be led keeping the same concept in mind. Integrating all the important factions of Afghan society within the ongoing reconciliation process will definitely result in a promising episode in the reintegration of Afghan society.