Events

Chairperson: Amb A. N. D. Haksar (Retd)
External Discussants: Prof. Jayati Srivastava, Dr. Medha Bisht, Dr. Saurabh Mishra
Internal Discussants: Gp. Capt. K. K. Khera, Col. Vikrant Deshpande

Major Arguments of the Paper

Since India is one of the longest surviving civilisations, there is likelihood that principles of statecraft are continuing through ages. This paper probes this possibility and argues that many concepts and principles of statecraft in India have not changed and that continuity is embedded in the vocabulary and concepts in the Indian tradition. They have survived due to their own enduring logic. This paper compares Arthasastra and Nitisara and analyses the enduring continuities in statecraft, diplomacy and aspects of warfare. It seeks answers to the following questions: (a) What are the continuities and changes in the vocabulary and concepts from Kautilya’s Arthasastra to Nitisara?; (b) What is the vocabulary of Kamandaka in a stand-alone mode?; and, (c) What is the contemporary relevance of the answers to these findings?

The author found both texts are ahistorical, dealing with the acquisition of wealth and its distribution and emphasising on war as the last resort. Some common aspects adhered to in both the texts are: mastering of control over the senses including non-violence; the need to ensure that the state of matsyanyaya does not prevail; anvikshiki; maintaining balance among dharma, artha and kama; importance of intelligence; the seven prakrits and twelve vijigisus in a circle of kings or mandala theory; six measures of foreign policy; the upayas in which there is no war mongering and use of force is the last resort; issues of disasters (vysanas) that may afflict the constituent elements (prakrits) and how to overcome them prior to the execution of a policy; duties of diplomats and intelligence gathering; and, aspects of war and use of power by sticking to the priorities of mantra-shakti (counsel or diplomacy), prabhav-shakti (economic and military power), and utsah-shakti (leadership).

The paper also points out the dissimilarities in concepts employed by the two texts. To begin with, while Kautilya’s work is inspired by statesmanship and is of a complex nature often questioning earlier scholars, Kamandaka’s is a lucid and academic work and an abridged version of the Arthasastra. In terms of uniqueness, Kamandaka stands out for deliberating at length not only on the four upayas (as mentioned in the Arthasastra) of sama , dana, bheda and danda but also the powerful concept of Upeksha (a combination of neglect or diplomatic indifference and the supreme virtue of patience) which was the strategy adopted by the Indian freedom movement. The impact of Kamandaka can be further seen on the Hitopadesa by Narayana, which has 90 verses of Kamandaka including sixteen types of alliances.

In the end, the paper argues that India’s geo-cultural space extends beyond the Himalayas up to Central Asia. This has also been highlighted by the History Division of the Ministry of External Affairs in the second White Paper published in 1959 “Historical Background of the Himalayan Frontier of India,” in which the Raghuvamsha of Kalidas is mentioned. In both this White Paper and in the text of Kamandaka, there is mention of the Kushan empire and Kanishka.

Major points of discussion and suggestions to the author

• The time frame of both the Arthasastra and Nitisara as well as the context in which they were written forms a significant background for the comparison process. Further, the Buddhist influence on Kamandaka and Kautilya can enrich the paper by providing another dimension.
• Thematic structuring of the paper can be done on the basis of Kamandaka’s notions on war, tactics, ethics, dharma, etc., and an overall idea can be given about what is distinctive about Indian texts as compared to western texts.
• When one approaches a non-western text, the method adopted should be devoid of an interpretative orientation and frames of comparison. Further, the techniques of communication should be picked carefully focusing on the inclusive macro tradition over multiple micro traditions.
• Methodology adopted by these texts can be discussed in the paper along with historical similarities and dissimilarities as well as political situation of that time while explaining the central themes of both, mentioning their categorization along with the reason for dissimilarities and commonalities.
• The difference between Nitisara and Arthasastra lies in the idea of legitimacy which changed over time. While Arthasastra was dependent on deliverance of kingly duties, Nitisara focuses on valour and the military qualities of the ruler.
• Author’s personal opinion should come out more strongly amongst the commendable literature survey and referencing. And, to extend its reach to the masses, the paper can be made more lucid.

Report prepared by Ms. Lakshmi Priya, Research Assistant, IDSA.

Venue: Seminar Hall I (Second Floor), IDSA

A number of experts from Japan and India will participate in the Symposium to discuss India-Japan Relations in context of Asia and beyond. The Japanese Ambassador to India, H.E. Kenji Hiramatsu will deliver a keynote speech at the inaugural session of the symposium.

Venue: Hilton Hotel Bonn, Berliner Freiheit 2, Bonn

Post-Paris, the international community is determined to meet the global climatechallenge with the help ofnew strategies and initiatives that simultaneously promote inclusive, sustainable socio-economic development, environmental sustainability, and sustainable peace. India’s role as a global climate actor is critical. Luckily, India is quickly synchronizing with the new climate goals. India promotes cooperation on disaster risk management, clean energy,and innovative green technology solutions that combine development potential with the reduction of carbon emissions. North-South technology transfer is only one part of the climate-development nexus. Indigenization of technology innovation and knowledge sharing are emerging as increasingly important approaches to climate action.

GOAL

This conference provides a platform to highlight India as an important scene of green innovation, while explainingIndia’s key strategies in green policy development, as reflected in India’s evolving position in climate negotiations. In this conference we will present and discuss India’s viewpoints, initiatives and key strategies, as India makes thetransition to a new “green evolution”.

BACKGROUND

India accounts for about 4.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which sets out the architecture for carbon emission reduction after 2020, was ratified by India on October 2, 2016. The Paris accord safeguards the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), which has remained a non-negotiable aspect of India’s climate position. This principle squarely puts the major responsibility on developed nations to drastically cut their carbon emissions and provide the necessary finance, technology and capacity building for developing economies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. India would like all the key elements–adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building–to be incorporated in the global climate deal.

India’s additional contribution to climate action is provisional onthe availability of finance and technologies from the industrialized economies. India also encourages the development of aset of rules to tax or regulate the higher emissions by corporationsacross the globe, as well as a framework of efficiency and climate awareness.In the field of disaster management, India wants to operationalizeloss and damage in the long-term, and set up mechanismsto compensate for climate-related losses that especially affect Small Island States, Least Developed Nations, and developing countries.

India also wants toplay a more proactive climate and development role, domestically and abroad. Regionally, India recognizes that climate action can open up new opportunities to overcome trust deficits through heightened inter-state cooperation on disaster preparedness, early warning systems, disaster risk reduction measures,and sharing of real-time data.

CONCEPT

Co-organized by the Indian Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), this conference is a part of the two institutes’ current research cooperation on India in the World: Emerging Perspectives on Global Challenges, and its subproject on Climate Change. The aim of this event is to create a platform whereIndian academics, analysts and practitionerscan present and interact witha global audience at the COP23 summit. The format: maximum ten-minute informal presentations will be followed by Q&A, debate and interaction.

Session I            Setting the stage - 0900 AM – 1000 AM

Moderator:                 Uttam Sinha, IDSA

Speakers:                   Jayant Mauskar,Member, Prime Minister Council on Climate Change & Henrik Eriksen, Head of Norway’s Delegation to COP23

Session II           High Technology, Low Emissions - 1000 AM – 1200 AM

Moderator:                 Åshild Kolås, PRIO

Speakers:                   Lydia Powell,Observer Research Foundation (ORF) & Sanjay Gupta,Consultant, the World Bank

 

JOIN US FOR LUNCH 1200 AM – 0130 PM

Address:             Ulrike Scharf, Bavarian State Minister of the Environment and Consumer Protection 0130 PM – 0145 PM

Session III           Disaster Preparedness and Co-operation 0145 PM – 0300 PM

Moderator:                  Jason Miklian, PRIO

Speakers:                    C.R.Babu,Professor Emiritus, Delhi University, Eklabya Sharma, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) & Kamal Kishore,National Disaster Management Agency

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