Lord Krishna, Hanuman Greatest Diplomats In World”: S Jaishankar
New Delhi:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday highlighted the importance of the great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana while explaining diplomacy.
Speaking at an event in Pune for the release of his English book “The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World,” which has been translated into Marathi as ‘Bharat Marg’, he said, “The biggest diplomats in the world were Lord Krishna and Hanuman… If we look at Hanuman, he had gone beyond diplomacy, he went ahead of the mission, contacted Sita and set Lanka on fire too.”
He described Lord Krishna and Lord Hanuman as “greatest diplomats.”
Explaining strategic patience, he gave the example of Lord Krishna forgiving Shishupal several times. Krishna made a promise that he will forgive 100 mistakes of Shishupala, but at the end of the 100th one, he would kill him.
It demonstrates the importance of one of the most important qualities of a good decision-maker.
Mr Jaishankar compared Kurukshetra, where the Mahabharat war took place between the Kauravas and Pandavas as “Multipolar India.”
Strategic autonomy is the ability of a state to pursue its own national interest and preferred foreign policy without being constrained by other states.
India has pursued the policy of strategic autonomy ever since its independence during the bipolar cold war (1947-1991), unipolar times (1991-2008) and multipolar times(2008-present).
This strategic autonomy is not an isolation nor an alliance. It has to be recalibrated as per the security environment to ensure India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are maintained.
Speaking about “strategic deception”, Mr Jaishankar gave the example of Lord Krishna creating the illusion of a sunset.
Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu was killed brutally by many warriors from Kaurava’s side. To avenge his son’s death, Arjuna vows to kill Jayadratha (who was the main culprit) by the next evening, and if he fails, would commit suicide by jumping onto a burning pyre.
Kauravas take this opportunity and hide Jayadratha till evening so that Arjuna will fail and kill himself.
As the sun sets, Jayadratha assumes that Arjuna lost the challenge and appears in front of him. Then Krishna asks Arjuna to quickly shoot and arrow and it cuts Jayadratha’s head.
He also laid stress on “reputational cost” saying that Pandava’s were better than Kaurava’s.
Mr Jaishankar lamented over the geographical limitations of India to choose its neighbours.
“It is a reality to us….Pandavas could not choose relatives, we can’t choose our neighbours. Naturally, we hope good sense prevails” said EAM Jaishankar when asked if “rogue nation (Pakistan), who happens to be nuclear power, the neighbour will be assets or a liability.”
Pakistan has received backlash from the global community for its inefficiency in combatting terrorism. It needs to mend its ways in order to have other countries aid it in times of distress. Pakistan now has very few allies, out of which Turkey is not in a position to help Pakistan, and China never gives grants but only loans.