Taliban's 'Men Only' Media Moment: India Turns Blind Eye To Gendered Rule?

This special report covers the fierce debate surrounding the exclusion of women journalists from a press conference held by a visiting Taliban delegation led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi. The discussion features journalists Geeta Mohan and Preeti Chaudhary, strategic expert Sushant Sareen, and former diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar. Preeti Chaudhary articulated the core of the outrage, stating, ‘the sheer fact women journalists were disrespected in India by the Taliban, who were, as a delegation, our guests and our official guests’. The programme delves into the clash between the journalists' indignation over the blatant gender discrimination on Indian soil and the arguments for strategic engagement with Afghanistan. It also scrutinises the Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) response that it had no involvement in the press interaction, a stance that has drawn considerable criticism.