The modestly titled book ‘Dabbling in Diplomacy’ is a vivid behind-the-scenes look at some of the most explosive arguments and negotiations that have shaped South Asia’s politics in the last four decades. The writer, Professor SD Muni, was not only a witness but often an active mediator, unafraid to take unpopular positions to help forge an agreement between fighting parties.

Muni rose from an unskilled labourer to the heights of the Indian government through hard work, integrity and incisive scholarship. Throughout his career, South Asian politicians of all stripes, from democrats to communists to separatists, sought his counsel to untangle the tricky political logjams that stifled negotiations between opposing parties. His role as an often clandestine interlocutor in these charged meetings made him at once the most vilified and most admired foreign scholar in Nepal.

Muni authored 30 books, and has contributed scholarly articles to numerous academic journals of repute around the world. His first book, ‘Foreign Policy of Nepal’ was published in 1973. It was perhaps the first book ever written on Nepal’s foreign policy and is widely read by individuals interested in Nepal’s history and politics. ‘Dabbling in Diplomacy’ is his latest book. He says he was reluctant to write it, but “having entered the last leg of my lifespan and in view of the repeated affectionate persuasion by friends and well-wishers, I have decided to pen them down”.

In the 219 pages he has penned, he shares with the reader untold stories of the clashes of egos; destructive fights; great accomplishments and sore disappointments. The book covers his experiences from his childhood to his academic years as a professor in the Jawaharlal Nehru University; his efforts in helping peacemaking in Nepal and Sri Lanka to his work as India’s ambassador to Laos, and later with India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as their special envoy. By far the biggest section of the book is dedicated to Nepal—his “first love”.

Muni says he was so committed to the cause of peace that he often cast aside his own politics. He says he is against violence yet decided to work with the Maoists to bring them within the democratic fold, mainstream them and end the hostilities. In the chapters about Nepal, we come across Nepal’s principal political actors dead and alive: BP Koirala, Prachanda, Baburam, Rishikesh Shaha Pushpa Lal Shrestha, and get a sense of their politics and inner conflicts. All of them at one stage or other, sought his counsel. We benefit from Muni’s access to all of them.

We also learn India’s argument for rejecting Nepal’s ‘Zone of Peace’ proposal. Muni acted as a go-between the Indian ambassador and Girija Koirala during negotiations with King Mahendra for BP Koirala’s release from prison. This was not known until the book came out.

The hardening of India’s policy towards Nepali Congress (NC) after China’s attack on India, had intrigued political observers in Nepal for a long time. At the time of the attack the NC, under its leadership exiled in India, was engaged in an armed rebellion against the King’s absolute rule. For the first time we learn from the book that, after the attack, India decided to “keep the king in good humor”, to dissuade him from leaning towards China. As a part of the keeping-in-good-humor policy, the then Indian ambassador to Nepal, Sriman Narayan, started welcoming the King with aarati, when he visited the embassy.

In Sri Lanka, Muni rejected the Tamil Tigers because of their extremely violent tactics but worked with the Sri Lankan leaders who were keen to induct the Tamils looking for a peaceful solution in the Sri Lankan government.

His retirement from Jawaharlal Nehru University and appointment as India’s ambassador to Laos catapulted him to the role of a diplomat. Once this assignment was over, he spread his scholarly wings to Singapore, Bhutan and so on. He became an advisor to India’s Ministry of External Affairs in various key policy issues and a key person promoting India’s campaign for membership in the United Nations Security Council.

The book also opens a window to South East Asia’s violent politics of the 1990s and 2000s. Muni is in the middle of all this and has often been the target of those who questioned his motives. A couple of Tamils who came to seek his counsel were assassinated a couple of days after they saw Muni. Muni himself had to walk around with security guards.

Toward the end of the book, Muni seems frustrated with the chaos that has engulfed South Asian politics. In particular, he laments that in Nepal, to which he says he is most attached, the camaraderie amongst the leaders and the political parties that made the second people’s movement successful has utterly collapsed from greed, corruption and a scramble for power.

Drama, violence, negotiations, peace and lessons learned, have all been the hallmark of the professor's life. ‘Dabbling in Democracy’ is an adrenaline rush for those who are fascinated by Asia’s charged politics.

Dabbling in Diplomacy

Author: SD Muni

Year: 2024

Publisher: Konark Publishers