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New Delhi<\/strong>, October 13, 2025 \u2014 In an unprecedented diplomatic development, Afghanistan\u2019s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi concluded a series of high-profile engagements in India, signaling a cautious yet strategic thaw between New Delhi and Kabul. The visit, which included interactions with religious scholars, think tank leaders, and journalists \u2014 including women \u2014 marks a significant recalibration in the Taliban\u2019s approach to India and the wider South Asian region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After visiting the Darul Uloom Deoband, one of South Asia\u2019s most respected Islamic seminaries, on Saturday, Muttaqi attended a private event organized by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) \u2014 a premier Indian think tank known for its ideological and intellectual ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the VIF headquarters in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Muttaqi held a closed-door roundtable discussion with senior Indian diplomats, former intelligence officials, and strategic experts. The conversation reportedly focused on regional security, counterterrorism cooperation, trade opportunities, and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to sources close to the event, Muttaqi reiterated the Taliban administration\u2019s intent to \u201cforge a constructive and respectful relationship\u201d with India, emphasizing shared interests in regional stability and economic connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Muttaqi\u2019s back-to-back visits to Darul Uloom Deoband and Vivekananda International Foundation carry deep symbolic meaning. Deoband is regarded as the intellectual cradle of the Deobandi movement, whose influence shaped much of Afghanistan\u2019s religious education and indirectly inspired the Taliban\u2019s ideological foundation. The visit there was seen as a gesture of respect to the theological roots shared between Afghan and Indian Islamic scholars.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSymbolism of Deoband and VIF Visits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n