A seasoned diplomat, prominent politician, and currently a social media sensation—the time couldn’t have been more apt for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to launch his new book Why Bharat Matters. The Indian parliamentary elections are around the corner, and it is now time to showcase India as an entrant in the foreign policy big leagues through this collection of 11 essays, which delve into India’s initiatives, underscoring pivotal moments and overarching trends over the past decade. With approximately two million followers on Instagram, and three million on X, who is better than Jaishankar at using his sharp words and witty retorts to woo foreign policy enthusiasts and public intellectuals across the world? Even his fellow colleague and cabinet minister, Piyush Goyal, refers to him as their “rock star boy”.
In contrast to his previous work, The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World, published in 2020 amid the heightened challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and a rising India on the global stage, the current book advances a central argument revolving around the need for a reboot in globalisation, highlighting the importance of resilient supply chains, transparent digital realms, and strategic economic decisions as critical components of this re-globalisation initiative.
India’s economic priorities are skillfully articulated as driving global engagements, with decisions like abstaining from RCEP, reflecting a nuanced approach to safeguarding national interests, and the highly successful G20 year, when India held the presidency in 2022-23. Regional dynamics are explored through initiatives like ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘SAGAR’, marking a departure from historical approaches. The concept of India as ‘Vishwa Mitra’, a partner of the world, reflects the nation’s emergence as a positive force with a growing impact worldwide. Throughout, the narrative paints a portrait of a confident and committed India, poised to play a significant role on the global stage by seamlessly blending progressive thinking, technological innovation and authentic cultural values.
Jaishankar delves into India’s rich cultural narratives, mainly focusing on the epic, Ramayana, and draws lessons that can be applied to the contemporary world. The book explains that the Mahabharata is more often associated with statecraft and diplomacy than the Ramayana. This association is influenced by factors such as distinctive storylines and the different eras in which these epics are set, each with unique behavioural expectations.
In fact, at a recent book discussion, the External Affairs Minister mentioned that “the idea this time of using the epic Ramayana as the overarching perspective” was a suggestion; it was almost a challenge he had received from someone and wanted to take up. In the Ramayana, Bharat had unbound love and respect for Ram. In his writing, Jaishankar’s anecdotes about PM Modi are sometimes no less than his fanboy moments with the latter.
The Ramayana, characterised by its ethical dimensions and purity of thought, is seen as a quest to observe rules and norms, offering insights into building a rules-based order. But does this extreme focus on the Ramayana or Ram correlate with the grand opening of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024—a significant BJP promise to restore the country’s Hindu glories? Yes.
The narrative of Ram exemplifies a rising power, which harmonises its interests with a commitment to global good. It provides valuable lessons in strategic creativity, moral decision-making and the complexities of international relations. The book’s narrative, however, ignores the comprehensiveness of the character’s depiction—where Ram’s abandonment of Sita is often discussed in the context of upholding dharma while cheerleading misogyny set in the Treta yuga—which is characterised by moral and ethical standards, stricter than those of today.
Furthermore, the controversy over the use of the term ‘Bharat’ to refer to India in official G20 invitations and statements by PM Modi’s government did spark a debate in late 2023, leading to accusations from government critics that the ruling political dispensation is planning to change the country’s name solely to ‘Bharat’. Critics argue that this move is part of the BJP’s broader efforts to erase Muslim influence from Indian history. At the same time, the opposition has raised concerns about abandoning the name ‘India’, emphasising its historical and global recognition. Hence,in his book, the foreign minister asserts that India must be grounded in its cultural values and beliefs. He ends his first essay with “…India can only rise when it is truly Bharat”—essentially portraying advancing ethnic nationalism as a driving force for societal advancement.
Finally, in Why Bharat Matters, Jaishankar shares a broad overview of the issues ranging from economic disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical challenges and great power competition in the AI era. Central to the narrative is an exploration of India’s progress in ascending the global hierarchy, shedding its defensive, non-aligned posture, and actively engaging with multiple nations on various fronts.
Why Bharat Matters
By: S Jaishankar
Publisher: Rupa
Pages: 256
Price: Rs 695