IIndia’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had recently said that Hanuman Ramayana Apart from Krishna, there was a leading diplomat. Indian Administrative Service officer Divya S. Iyer too Called Hanuman a possible mascot for the Indian Foreign Service. I remember reading the book by former Ambassador TP Srinivasan Applied Diplomacy: Through the Prism of Mythology, edited by Iyer, who also took up the idea. Some other Indian diplomats, especially the book’s reviewers, also shared this view. The cover of the book depicts a picture of Hanuman flying over the United Nations Headquarters. Without going into the merits or demerits of the book, it is safe to say that Hanuman’s importance to Indian diplomacy is neither new nor can be ignored.
many Indian diplomats who have serviced Sri Lanka has also emphasized the importance of Hanuman in Indian diplomacy. I want to go one step further. Hanuman offers many lessons for the public diplomacy orientation of India and the world today. Public diplomacy is communicating with people in one’s own country and with people abroad to present values, cultures, and policies. Therefore, it becomes relevant to see how Hanuman realizes this ideal.
Although rooted in India, Hanuman emerges as an international figure and has been an inspiration to many, from the former President of the United States Barack Obama for Grammy nominated and American singer Krishna Das.
By hailing Hanuman as one of India’s foremost diplomats, the Narendra Modi government is bringing back the importance of a ‘civilizational nation state’ in the country’s foreign policy discourse. Such a move elevates the role of culture in international relations and makes it a tool for national purposes. So, the timing couldn’t be more opportune.
It is important that academics and analysts realize that Asia is the continent where civilizations existed and flourished. French President Emmanuel Macron has also stressed the importance of a European Union (EU) civilizational framework, It does not suggest that one civilizational nation state is holier than another, nor is it intended to divide countries. It is only important to underline that world history began long before the formation of ‘nation states’. It also does not suggest that America or the countries of the West are not civilizational nation states. That said, this aspect of a civilizational nation-state and its contours certainly require nuanced and in-depth analysis by eastern and western minds alike.
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at the origins of the civilizational nation state
First, let’s define what a civilizational nation state is. To borrow the words of the famous Chinese scholar zhang weiwei, a civilizational nation state can be defined as “the combination of the world’s longest continuous civilization with a large modern state”. Weiwei said this in the context of China and added that “China is a civilizational nation state which is an amalgamation of hundreds of countries”. Apart from Weiwei, another Chinese scholar Tan Chung in his 2018 book has been very vocal about recognizing China as a ‘civilizational state’ at par with India. China: a 5,000-whyCannes Odyssey, In the case of India, as we know, there were hundreds of princely states before which many civilizations flourished and connected with the rest of the world.
Back to Hanuman. The power of a nation’s civilizational story lies in its history. Ramayana An integral part of India’s civilizational story is celebrated in many parts of Asia, and Hanuman is an important part of it. I participated in the International Ramayana Festival organized by Indonesia in 2006. Bali’s performance began with a light and sound show based on Hanuman. In 1977, when Indonesia hosted the Southeast Asian Games, Hanuman was its official mascot, is a hindu god statue Indonesian military intelligence as well. Also known as ‘Anjaneyam’ or ‘Monkey God’, Hanuman is widely revered in Southeast Asia and is a common Thread Connecting India to this region. In 2018, Taiwan’s National Palace Museum introduced an educational video game for children featuring Hanuman. host,
The time has come for India to start a healthy and constructive discussion about how it sees itself as a civilized nation state with Hanuman in it.
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essential to public diplomacy
Good communication is fundamental to public diplomacy. Hanuman was an excellent communicator. whoever heard or saw Ramayana or even read parts of Sundar Kandam (a chapter of the epic) will indicate this. Be it talking to Rama in disguise for the first time or talking to Ravana during his mission, Hanuman proved his prowess in communication. Divya Iyer elaborates on these features in Srinivasan’s book bookwrites: “There is no grimace on his face, brow or brow, and no inappropriate gesture from any other part of the body. His diction is neither too wide, nor elliptical, nor too slow nor too Fast. The thoughts of his heart flow from his voice in a moderate voice. His language is cultured, charming and graceful, and his manner is neither fast nor slow. Other experts and Writers Hanuman has also been analyzed as a distinctive part of human culture.
Hanuman was a keen learner and listener. According to Hindu philosophy, he flew in front of the Sun and learned from him. The stories mention how Hanuman was passionate about knowing about the world from Surya as the star was ‘omniscient’ and saw everything. In public diplomacy, countries learn by listening to each other. Today, listening is an important component of public diplomacy; Research shows that out of a public diplomat’s 13-hour day, 9 hours are devoted only to ‘listening’. Hearing (listen) is an important thread of Indian spiritual thought.
Those who study, practice and support it will know that public diplomacy is geared towards mutual benefit, or in other words, with ‘win-win’ situations. Public diplomacy—or any subset of it—such as cultural, digital diplomacy, or soft power—is practiced to reach win-win situations and to envisage the importance of ‘we’ rather than ‘I’ and ‘mine’. It is not to subjugate other countries but to realize that there should be no others. Hanuman allied with Rama and sought his help through Sugriva to defeat Bali, but through that mission he also helped Rama rescue Sita.
Evaluation is also an integral part of public diplomacy. By evaluation, I mean the ability to find out what one’s output is and what the possible outcomes might be. There are many other models of evaluation such as focus groups, longitudinal studies and surveys. Hanuman’s diplomatic mission to Sri Lanka was a part of his assigned task, but the greater outcome of that mission was to enable Rama to evaluate what he must do to bring Sita back. His mission prepared a direct survey for Rama to launch a strategic campaign to fulfill his overall objective. India needs to evaluate everything it does – good, bad or ugly.
Good public diplomacy helps countries to be humble and genuine about their aspirations and to be the voice of reason in any given scenario. Hanuman’s report of his mission to Sri Lanka was a great fact-finding exercise for Rama, and by all means, it gave Ravana a sneak peek into his might and all-encompassing power. He was true to his mission and a great voice of reason for Rama to depend upon. It’s clear through the whole plot Ramayana, Although diplomatic relaxed me As for ‘honest’ people sent abroad to lie, in my opinion, Hanuman was truthful about his mission in India and abroad, and today, public diplomacy should be nothing but the truth.
Smart Power icon
Hanuman also incarnated ‘smart power’. American political scientist Joseph Nye defined smart power as a combination of both hard and soft power. Hanuman showed how to not only nurture hard and soft power abilities but also use them to his advantage. A footnote is necessary here: This does not mean that he used force without hesitation; Knowing more about him will reveal that he fought for ‘Peace’.
Lastly, Hanuman is a symbol of diversity and inclusion in India. This is such an important quality for public diplomacy and a quality to imbibe for any public diplomat anywhere. I’ve written this in the past and I say this Again – It is an integral part of the discourse of indigenous communities.
Communication, learning and listening, forming alliances for mutual benefit, or using unique assessment methods – Hanuman stands tall as a great architect of India’s public diplomacy discourse if one studies his history. And his life’s lessons are now more relevant than ever for India as it gears up to host the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) forums this year. Even the whole world can learn from the Hindu god – after all, Hanuman is a ‘glocal’ icon.
Sudarshan Ramabadran is a writer and researcher. He is currently a student at the University of Southern California and a Visiting Fellow at the India Foundation. The views expressed are his own.
(Edited by Hamra Like)