Sands and Diplomacy

                                                               Sands and Diplomacy

                   It was in Jalore, a remote district in South-western Rajasthan where this fine idea invaded my neurons.The idea which will be developed and revealed gradually like a muddy stream flowing in it’s deltaic stage, has a bearing on the future of the political commen-sense (if anything of this sort should at all be thought about ). Jalore falls in geographical region which is historically known as Marwar.Infact it is one of the sub-region of Marwar called Godwad.The region is uniquely adorable for it’s Raikas with 50 meter long pagdis and thousands of sheeps,it’s jungle temples frequented my merchant like milk loving bears,jain sadhus and sleepy babus in their vintage lal battis.The marriage which I was attending was one of the typical feudal marriage of Rajasthan with it’s Langa performances,got (meat eating feast with buckets of whisky), rajput thikanedars with their big mustaches poorly hiding the vanishing finances and old glories.

                

                   There, I came across many people.Some of them were quite intresting like the hawala seth(much like mirchi seth from sarfarosh), local MLA(who wanted U.S to put a bounty on Anna Hazare’s head). I am not going to write anything about these intresting ones but I am going to discuss the one who was the most unpleasing or rather irritating one but who planted a great idea in my mind.I begin with a great thanks to him.

                 

                   He was an IFS officer with 7 years of diplomatic experience. For obvious reasons I am not going to divulge his name but he was an Indian diplomat who began his conversation with a complain that since he was IFS he won’t get a good dowry vis-à-vis. IAS officers of his community.That really kicked me.I wanted to hear more and talk more.

                 

                  I initiated a discussion on public policy and public diplomacy.He replied that “public is always a public. It can not have a policy and it is not just capable of doing diplomacy.”Initially I thought that it was some piece of diplomatic wit but soon it turned out that it was a piece of scattered wit.He meant it literally. He had no idea of public diplomacy.Then I told him that since he was living in global world he should have an account on twitter. He replied that last time he wrote any sensible thing was 7 years back when he wrote an essay on women empowerment in his IAS exam. I said well that is so cool. Even 7 years back you were thinking about women empowerment, in those days no one thought about gender issues.He was on 7^th heaven to learn that. He asked me,”Does that make him a suitable candidate for MP election ?” I shot back,”when are you standing for that ?”He said with a natural ease,”after retirement”.I said ,but that is like some 30 years from now and till then it must be diplomacy,not politics.He says well diplomacy began with his coaching classes in Mukarjee nagar and ended the day he got his appointment letter.

            

               Later,when I mentioned names like Jagat Mehta,Samuel Huntington, Francis Fukuyama, Pratap Bhanu Mehta,they were like physics and chemistry formulas for him. He said I don’t know calculus.I said ,they are great public policy experts. Jagat Mehta is from your state .You must know him.He only said one sentence,”In sab bekar ki baton me kya rakha hai.jab upsc ke exam me inke bare me nahi padha to ab kya zarurat hai. Exam ke baad to maine newspaper bhi padhna band kar diya.”He was least interested in knowing anything about Amitav Ghosh,Gabriel Garcia Marquez.He could not speak for 2 minites fluently in English. But yes he was making a good reading out of Playboy which he brought in loads for his cousins from his foreign postings and was regaling his friends and cousins with his escapades with blonde girls.The only virtue which he had was that he was not arrogant and bossy like other babus.He could drink the lowliest of wine and call it Johnny walker.

   

              Today morning a batchmate for St.Stephens’s called me up from U.S.He did  MSFS(Masters of Science in Foreign Service) from Georgetown and was thinking of joining Indian Foreign Service.He asked me about the UPSC exam.I told him that it is something which goes on for two-three years and it is capable of failing Henry Kissinger in International Relations as optional. He asked me that is there any system of recruitment based on interview,SOP or lateral entry in civil services .Infact he found it quite funny .He said he is already a graduate in foreign service and his degree is the best one.He said,” I am not interested in taking this exam as I already have an offer from Brookings Institution.I just want to serve my country but not at this big a cost.”I said good bye and hungup the phone.

        

          Today evening, he rang me up once again and announced his decision that he is joining Brookings institution. I am not very happy to learn about this.He could have been an asset to this nation if he had joined our diplomatic services. But we do not have anything for these people and this makes them land up in U.N and Brookings because the later two know their worth.Our system just does not go beyond conventions,customs ,rigid exams (which makes diplomats and administrators out of engineers,docters,linguists and historians)

    

         Why can’t we begin with some change? When U.S can appoint Vali nasr,Francis Fukuyama ,Brett Mcgerc as policy advisors and ambassadors than why can’t we send our Ved Pratap Vedics,Brahma Chellanys,Achin Vinayaks,Narayan murthys etc as our envoys and high commissioners.We can give a chance to Indian students (interested ones) who go and study public policy and diplomacy cources at places like Cornell, Princeton, Fletcher, Harvard etc to join our civil services and foreign services.There is no need to subject them to UPSC exam (as most of them already have good job. offers from MNCs,think tanks etc so we have to somehow get this talent)They can simply write an SOP and then shortlisted candidate should be called for an interview.Finally selected candidates can start with a 6 month orientation course and then parcelled to their foreign postings or field postings in India (if they are in administrative services).Thes students are professionals with a good exposure, knowledge,and dynamic personality.They can do a great service to our country.

   

        Recently Farid Zakaria raised a big question mark on our foreign policy  and our whole foreign service set up. He wrote that a nation as small as New Zealand has 11,000 diplomats and on the other hand India ,who dreams of game changer role has only 600 diplomats.So ,I believe it is the right time to think out of the box and get Kissingers and Bismarcks for India.

         

          Finally it is our choice,who do we want to represent us ?

a)The fellow who cremated the diplomacy the day he was appointed (after passing a great,great and greatest exam!)
                                                                         OR
b) the fellow from Georgetown for whom diplomacy is a passion,mission of his life ,not just receipt for good dowry.