"Hanuman Was A Big Diplomat": S Jaishankar Finds Familiar Ground In Ramayan

Foreign minister S Jaishankar today cited Ramayana and an "epic"  diplomat in it in reference to his job. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Jaishankar spoke of finding Indian examples for people and situations instead of borrowing from the west.

In this context, he said even his job has featured in the great epic Ramayan.

"Hanuman was huge diplomat. An actual diplomat, since he was sent to Lanka as an envoy," he told NDTV, citing Hanuman's visit to Lanka during the search for Goddess Sita.

"Hanuman also had an intelligence mission. He had to gain information on Sita. And he was also an activist diplomat, since on his way out, he caused them great loss," Mr Jaishankar said, referring to the burning of Lanka.

He also spoke of the diplomatic tactics and mind games that Hanuman had employed while in the audience hall of demon king Ravan.

"He managed to sit on a higher seat than the king and his ministers, which put them at a psychological disadvantage," Mr Jaishankar said, pointing out that so much of it is relevant even today.

Back then, they even had the concept of coalition, Mr Jaishankar said. "What was the Vanar Sena (monkey army) if not a coalition of sorts?"

"We need to internalise our scriptures and use those references in conversations among ourselves. In the west, people refer to Iliad and Odyssey," said Mr Jaishankar, who has a chapter on Ramayana and Mahabharata in his new book, "Why Bharat Matters".

Interest in Ramayan has peaked ever since the Supreme Court awarded the disputed land in Ayodhya's Ram Janambhoomi for a temple in 2019.

The temple built there was consecrated last month in a massive ceremony officiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The programme was telecast across India.