Building bridges with deft diplomacy

Diplomacy is the primary tool used by nations and organizations to manage relationships, prevent conflicts, and promote mutual interests through dialogue and negotiation. It is essential for maintaining global peace, facilitating international trade, and addressing borderless challenges like climate change and pandemics

From ancient times, nations have managed relations through negotiation, evolving from ad hoc messengers to permanent missions and multilateral global organizations. Early civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, India, and China relied on temporary envoys for specific trade deals, dynastic marriages, and peace pacts.

Ancient India developed sophisticated treatises on statecraft and foreign affairs, while Greek city-states refined regular diplomatic interaction and legal immunities for envoys.

Dated around 1269 BCE, the Kadesh Treaty, a peace agreement between the Hittite Empire and Egypt stands as one of history’s oldest recorded treaties.

Italian city-states like Venice pioneered permanent diplomatic legations in the 15th century to maintain continuous intelligence and communication. In 1648, the landmark European settlement ‘Peace of Westphalia’ established the foundational concept of sovereign nation-states and institutionalized permanent diplomatic representation. European powers subsequently created dedicated foreign ministries and standardized diplomatic ranks and protocols.

Following the Napoleonic Wars, European powers, in 1815, formed the ‘Concert of Europe’ which emerged from the peace settlements of the Congress of Vienna in 1814, to collectively manage stability and prevent continent-wide war.

The catastrophic World Wars of the 20th century shifted diplomacy from secret bilateral deals to open, permanent multilateral organizations designed to preserve collective security and modern diplomacy now incorporates non-state actors, international organizations, economic sanctions, and digital communication, alongside traditional state-to-state channels

The rich culture and highly valued traditions of India have drawn many foreigners from different countries from times immemorial. The travellers who visited India recorded their appreciation of the beauty of the country in different ways such as poetry, books and travelogues.

Megasthenes, Ambassador of Greek King Seleucus I Nikator, sent 302 BCE to the Court of Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Mautya, was the first foreign traveller to India. Ever since, many great foreign envoys visited the country, including historically famous personalities such as Fa-Hien, Hiuen-Tsang and Marco Polo, among others.

Since independence, Indian diplomacy has effectively handled intricate global and regional crises with grit and vision. From wars and Kashmir to nuclear tests, globalization, and strategic battles in the Indo-Pacific, Indian diplomats have led in protecting national interests. Among the earliest of those was Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, who served as India’s Ambassador to the United States from 1949 to 1952 and was the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly. the first woman and the only Indian to occupy that post.

Another great pioneer of that glorious tradition was K P S Menon Senior, who, in the 1950s, was known as the ‘Father of Independent Indian Diplomacy’. He was a key figure during the post-partition turmoil, Kashmir conflict and early tensions of the Cold War. As India’s first Foreign Secretary, he developed the non-aligned, independent foreign policy strategy, worked toward defining India’s position on Kashmir at the UN and rode out early Cold War tensions without getting into superpower alignments. His diplomatic acumen rooted India’s independent voice in international affairs. In 1981, as the Secretary to the Vice-President of India, I had the honour and privilege of meeting Menon while accompanying Vice-President Hidayatullah on a visit to Japan when Menon was India’s Ambassador to Japan.

P N Haksar, of the Indian Foreign Service, was yet another brilliant diplomat who, in the early 1970s, as Principal Secretary to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was the mastermind behind India’s decisive support for Bangladesh’s independence and the Indo-Soviet Treaty. His vision drove India’s assertive diplomacy, pushing for nuclear autonomy and shaping India as a regional power capable of bold strategic moves.

In later years, Ambassador Abid Hussain, as we all knew him, was a diplomat cast in the mould of a Renaissance man, a rare type in a world that is subject to many rapid shifts and changes. What set him apart was the manner in which he was both a warm, congenial, kind and gentle person as well as a superb spokesman for India and Indianness, blending both intellectual acuity with a vision that was holistic and humane. He was truly the quintessential diplomat, seeking to solve problems rather than compound them, always aware of the bottom line, a pathfinder through complex terrain, and perennially focused. As India’s Ambassador to the United States from 1990 to 1992, a critical era of post-Cold War diplomacy, he acted as a key voice for Indian economic reforms abroad.

Many Ambassadors to India distinguished themselves, becoming popular and recognized for their active public engagement, cultural integration, and prominent presence in the diplomatic community in the National Capital, including envoys from France, Japan, and the United States. Among them, John Galbraith the Ambassador of the USA to India is perhaps the most well remembered. He became a confidant of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and extensively advised the Indian government on economic matters.

Strangely enough, Ambassadors need not only represent countries. It has become the custom now for companies and organisations to hire celebrities from different walks of life, such as fine arts, sports and adventure, to the marketing of a product or service of theirs or, on occasion, even causes of international importance. They are generally known as goodwill ambassadors or messengers of peace or advocates of specific causes. Eminent celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas have donned that role for the ‘Incredible India’ campaign of the Union Ministry of Tourism. Likewise, popular Bollywood personalities such as John Abraham and AR Rehman are Ambassadors for the government of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim states, respectively. Interestingly enough Punjabi rapper Shubh has become the first Indian musician to be the Global Brand Ambassador for Climate Advocacy.

A good diplomat is one who has perfected the art of couching even the most painful of messages in a play of words that is most pleasing. Little wonder, then, that it is said that when a diplomat tells you to go to hell, you actually look forward to the trip!

(The writer was formerly

Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr MOHAN KANDA

Dr MOHAN KANDA[email protected]