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In this interview to The Quint, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran talks about how India should be dealing with both Pakistan and China, drawing on his vast experience as a career diplomat. Talking about what he thinks really caused China’s actions at Doklam (hint: perhaps not a desire to take on India), to how we should change our tactics re: Pakistan, Saran gives us a ringside view of diplomacy as it is – and as it should be – practised.
India’s often bitter disputes with its two biggest neighbours have riveted national attention to our borders in recent times, with surgical strikes and calls for boycott of Chinese goods dominating headlines. So, it is fortuitous that Saran has come out with a new book on the very topic so close on the heels of the Doklam standoff.
'How India Sees the World: Kautilya to the 21st Century’ takes you through major diplomatic events, like how India got the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver in 2008, the negotiation of the Copenhagen Accord on climate change, and, of course, India’s complex relationships with Pakistan, China, and Nepal. If you’re worried about a dry read, don’t be – colourful anecdotes and personal experiences give you a glimpse into how international relations actually unfold on the world stage.
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