New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that Lord Krishna and Hanuman are the "greatest diplomats" in the world while explaining diplomacy. "I am making this comment in all seriousness. If you look at it in terms of strategy, and intelligence, they were all-purpose diplomats," Jaishankar asserted.
During an event in Pune for the release of English his 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."
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.
He said it demonstrates the importance of one of the most important qualities of a good decision-maker.
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, as per ANI.
When explaining about "strategic deception", Jaishankar gave the example of Lord Krishna creating the illusion of a sunset.
He also laid stress on "reputational cost" saying that Pandava's were better than Kaurava's. Jaishankar also explained "tactical adjustment" by giving examples of Yudhisthira lying about Ashwathama's death, according to ANI.
Jaishankar also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making him the External Affairs Minister.
"Being the foreign secretary was the limit of my ambition, never even dreamt of becoming a minister" says EAM Jaishankar. Thanking PM Modi, points, "not sure any PM, other than Narendra Modi would have made me minister."
(With Agency inputs)