The art and heart of diplomacy

Srirangam Srinivasa Rao, the revolutionary Telugu poet popularly known as Sri Sri, bemoaned in one of his famous rousing compositions that no country's history offers anything to be proud of. While one appreciates the spirit in which that lament was made, one feels even more distressed when one looks at the manner in which the affairs of countries around the world are being conducted, insofar as relationships between, and amongst, them are concerned. It is, no doubt, understandable that, to borrow the spirit of Lord Palmerston's statement, every country should regard its national interest as the beacon that guides its approach to external relations, and that friends and enemies have no perpetual status as such. Still, it remains a cause for concern that, especially in the last century or so, the adjective 'enlightened' that is expected to precede the expression 'national interest' has been singularly conspicuous by its absence. And, regrettably, very much so in the case of India.

No matter which direction one looks in, one fails to find countries from which warm and effusively friendly signals are emanating. One is tempted to recall Oscar Wilde saying, of George Bernard Shaw, that Shaw had no enemies, but was intensely disliked by his friends! Neither the much touted Non Alignment Movement, founded by India, together with Egypt and Yugoslavia, decades ago, nor the 'neighbourhood' first imperative, that is reported to have informed foreign policy in recent times, appears to have produced any exciting outcome. It would, therefore, appear to be the right time, for those in the Government of India that shape the policy relating to external affairs, to pause for regrouping, reflect upon the lessons of the past and contemplate remedial steps.

Before proceeding further, a brief recap of the history of external relations,and the art of diplomacy will be in order. The classic definition of diplomacy is that it is the art and science of maintaining peaceful relationships between countries, organisations, groups or individuals. Heads of governments have, since times immemorial, been guided in their actions by the faith in the axiom that prosperity and strength are possible only when ministers, diplomats, and spies are competent. And, to India in particular, the business of diplomacy is not of recent origin. Epics such as the Mahabharat and the Ramayan record the stellar roles played by Lord Krishna and Hanuman as envoys par excellence. The manner in which they conducted themselves, in displaying consummate skill in communication, and the rare ability, sharply to read the signals emanating from the environment in a given situation, continue to serve as abject lessons to the diplomatic community to this day the External Affairs Minister of India, Jayashankar, said, at a recentfunction in Pune, arranged to launch his book "The India, way: strategies for an uncertain world", that mythological literature defines India's strategic values. "If I am asked who is the world's biggest diplomat," he continued, "I would say that it was Lord Krishna and Lord Hanuman. If you look at Hanuman, he had gone beyond diplomacy and used intelligence, he was a multipurpose diplomat". Hanuman, said Jayashankar, had terrific communication skills and was a genuine messenger for Lord Ram. Similarly, Lord Krishna was, many centuries later, in Mahabharat, to proceed to Hastinapur, as an envoy of peace, to prevent war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, and to encourage peaceful negotiations.

The concept of ambassadors also occurs in the holy books of important religions, such as Christianity and Islam. Saint Paul says in the Bible that "we are therefore for Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.…. By the word "ambassadors" Saint Paul meant that Christians should see themselves as representatives of God and to behave accordingly.

It is also said, in the Qur'an, that one should "Be an ambassador of… Islamic faith…. No matter where you find yourself, strive to live up to the example that Muhammad has set…. "Being an ambassador of Islam, it has been accepted, means living and acting in accordance with the values and ethics of the faith, in day to day life.

Envoys of foreign heads of states and governments have visited India from times immemorial. Megasthenes, ambassador of Seleucus Nikator was the first foreign travel to India with other distinguished persons, such as Al-Masudi, Fa-Hien, Hieun-Tsang, Marco Polo, and Abdul Razak etc., following, in subsequent times.

Companies and organisations also, often times, engage well known persons such as sportsmen and movie actors, as 'Brand Ambassadors,' to embody their products in appearance, demeanour, value and ethics, as also to increase sales through emphasising the desirability of using their products. Likewise, the UNO as well as many countries often engage well-known public figures as 'Goodwill Ambassadors' to espouse important public causes through advocacy.Vijay Amritraj, the well-known tennis player, who brought laurels to India with his excellent performance in many international events, including the Davis cup, and the Wimbledon, was appointed as a Messenger of Peace by the UNO to spread awareness on the issues of drugs and HIV-AIDS.

A successful diplomat needs to have many qualities. The patience and ability to listen, openness of mind and heart and the willingness to compromise and meet the other side halfway are only some among the primary requirements of a good Ambassador.

Many distinguished personalities have brought laurels to India while serving as envoys in important countries. Notable among them are VK Krishna Menon, India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, succeeded by equally illustrious person, such as Vijayalakshmi Pandit and MACChagla, KRNarayanan, who was India's ambassador to China, Abid Hussain, who was the country's envoy in the USA, KPS Menon, who made a mark in Japan, and Hamid Ansari, India's Ambassador to Iran and Saudi Arabia and also as permanent representative to the United Nations at New York. It would be no exaggeration to state that, every one of them had more than mastered the five often recommended requirements, of good diplomacy, namely, communication, negotiation, intelligence gathering, image management and policy implementation.

Just as many important capital cities in the world have, New Delhi has been host to a large number of envoys. Many of whom were posted there at the peak of their distinguished careers. A large number of them are remembered, for their contribution to the effort of strengthening the ties, between their home countries and India. The names make for a long list, which includes Nobel laureates, renowned economists, scholars, writers, politicians and career diplomats. A posting to India is regarded by the diplomatic corps as a meaty one.

One of the more notable names from that long list is that of John Galbraith. He was admired and loved in India for his scholarship and economic brilliance. The support of the United States 20th June in the Indo-China face-off was also a significant landmark during his tenure.

Another widely admired envoy to India was the Russian Ambassador Alexander Nikolaevich Kadakin. He had two stints,one from 1999 to 2004, and again from 2009 to 2017. Fluent in Hindi, and possessing a deep knowledge of Indian politics and society, he developed close ties with Prime Ministers over a long span of time, including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Some very illustrious persons, however, had regrettably to face embarrassing moments, and return under a cloud. Nani Palkhivala's name comes to mind in connection with his helping Lillian Carter, President Carter's mother, put on a shoe, in a well-meaning and innocuous incident that, however, shocked the whole nation.

And to end this piece on a lighter note, a story. At a Diplomats' dinner, a waiter tripped and shattered the beautiful plate in which he was carrying a large turkey.Hushed silence turned into a roar of laughter, when a quick-witted diplomat observed "Gentlemen"! "You have just witnessed four major international events happening. Fall of Turkey. Breakup of China. Spillage of Greece andFrustration of Hungary!"

(The writer is formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)