Daily Times

These days, Indians are basking in the glory brought by the Russia-Ukraine war. The US and Europe are courting India. From the common Youtuber to India’s foreign minister, tongues are rolling against Pakistan. Indians seem to be gloating over Pakistan’s financial situation — smug in the false belief that India is now far ahead of Pakistan. India’s Foreign Minister (FM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar never misses an opportunity to speak ill of Pakistan and disrespect us. This behaviour continued during the recent SCO summit in Goa, where FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was caught on camera glaring at his Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. For a seasoned diplomat, this was a very poor display of manners shown to a guest.

Just today I came across a Facebook reel of FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, where he is seen talking about the best author on the subject of diplomacy. Mr. Jaishankar stated that Niccolo Machiavelli, was the author most often quoted to be the best instructor on the subject. However, he said that in his opinion the Hindu mythological Hanuman was the best instructor of diplomacy.

As he said this, the term, “The Two Nation Theory,” popped into my head. My immediate thought was that the religious psychology of Islam has a behavioural trajectory. Only a diabolical Muslim would take Machiavelli as his inspiration and guide, and even then, he would never publicly admit to it. The notion of accountability on the day of Judgment and the moral teachings of Islam are contradictory to the teachings of Machiavelli — whose famous work, The Prince is often referred to as the devil’s handbook. In FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s mind, this diabolical work is viewed globally as the gold standard in this genre. This snippet discloses his worldview.

Helping hands can only go so far. India lacks the inherent strength and ability to rise on its merit.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) lived in Renaissance Florence when the famed ruling family of the Medicis was on the decline after the collapse of their Medici Bank in 1494. Machiavelli observed all the political deceptions, treacheries and crimes occurring in front of him, as Secretary to the Chancery. Based on those observations he wrote The Prince in 1513, stating his ideas of a perfect leader. However, the book must be understood in its context, which was to deal with the political wave in Florence.

The book is a practical take on politics, as it directly dwells on realpolitik without mentioning the likes of religion and allegiance. However, it advocates a ruthless approach that advises governing people with the absence of morality (if needed) or to justify any means necessary to reach the goal. The term Machiavellian has come to mean cunning and unscrupulous.

I never thought I would utter these words but I am glad that our Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is the son of a father very skilled and able in the game of politics. His father’s counsel can aid our young Foreign Minister.

Coming to Hanuman, like every other Pakistani my exposure to him is limited to Bollywood references. I turned to Chat GPT to gain some insights into this mythological being. It said that some aspects of Hanuman’s character can be seen as diplomatic. As a bridge builder, negotiator, mediator and problem solver with a deep cultural understanding, Hanuman possessed valuable diplomatic qualities.”

I can appreciate the epic of Ramayan as an Indo-Greek oral storytelling tradition, which carries nuggets of human wisdom. The Illiad and the Odyssey are its ancient Greek counterpart. All three are considered classic texts in world literature. That said, it is mythology and while the allegories contained therein may contain many insights and wisdom, it cannot substitute the guidance available to the Muslims in the form of the Quran, the hadith and the accounts of the Rashidun caliphate.

When the Indian Foreign Minister referred to a mythological being, as his guide in the world, I felt relieved that I was a Pakistani and not an Indian. FM Jaishankar might eulogize Hanuman, but he uses Machiavellian tactics and does his best to label Pakistan as a terrorist state. It is not just him, India has a policy of trying its best to make the terrorist state label stick to Pakistan. The truth is that India took the lead in funding and orchestrating terrorism in Pakistan, beginning in the 1980s. The jailed Indian naval officer turned spy, Kulbhushan Yadav, is proof of India’s efforts at Pakistan’s domestic destabilization. India is being artificially bolstered by the US as a counterweight to China. India has not risen on its merit and is insecure in its position. This is why it is hell-bent on subverting Pakistan, which it sees as a threat. If we were a failed terrorist state, then India would not need to spread false propaganda against us.

The fact is that India is a country struggling with a large population which is poor and illiterate. It has an ill-equipped and weak military. After India met a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Pakistan Air Force in February 2019, The New York Times reported on March 3, 2019: “India’s armed forces are in alarming shape. If intense warfare broke out tomorrow, India could supply its troops with only 10 days of ammunition, according to government estimates. And 68 per cent of the army’s equipment is so old, it is officially considered vintage.”

Since 2001, India has been relying on its IT sector linkages with the US, to make progress. India needs to badmouth Pakistan to become the blue-eyed boy of the US. Being recruited by the US as a QUAD ally with Japan and Australia gives India leverage in the Pacific. The UK and France are courting India, to counteract Russia and China. However, helping hands can only go so far. India lacks the inherent strength and ability to rise on its merit. The crutches enabling it to run a marathon, must not be viewed as some giant leap of economic, technological and diplomatic progress. External reliance can only yield a temporary boost. India lacks the intrinsic strength needed to become powerful.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. She can be reached at aliya1924@gmail.com