“If you come to a negotiation table saying you have the final truth, that you know nothing but the truth and that is final, you will get nothing.”
– Harri Hermanni Holkeri KBE (Finnish Prime Minister 1987–1991, Head United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo from 2003- 2004).
Wherever territorial disputes exist between belligerent nations (as on the Line of Control between India and Pakistan and Line of Actual Control between India and China) and efforts are made to resolve them, the initial negotiations at field level have to start between designated opposing military representatives. When this happens it is important that the negotiators are aware of the historical, anthropological, psychological and cultural issues and traits of the other side. They also need to be aware of general negotiation techniques which are internationally used in every walk of life and especially in corporate dealings and be aware about how they can be employed in their negotiating style and strategy. These series of blogs will attempt to build up a knowledge base in this field, with stress on negotiating with the Chinese.
Military diplomacy can be construed as a paradox as militaries are traditionally associated with hard power while diplomacy plays the role of soft power. As a corollary, there have been many instances of peaceful use of the military to further a nation’s international relations. This peaceful use of the military as a tool of diplomacy led to the term ‘military diplomacy’. It serves specific national, foreign and security policy objectives.
The concept of the military-diplomat is not aimed at undermining the fundamental role of either the soldier or the diplomat. It does not advocate replacing one with the other. It merely underlines the fast-changing professional requirements of a modern day soldier who has to be trained to handle weapons as well as words. Different military diplomacy models have been developed by various militaries globally ― the United Kingdom has the ‘Diplomatic and Military Operations in a Non-warfighting Domain’ (DIAMOND) Model of Peace Support Operations, the United States of America has the 3D Model (Defense, Diplomacy and Development) etc. India, too, needs to devise its own model based on its specific resources and requirements.
The prevailing global scenario necessitates the use of military diplomacy as an integral component in furthering India’s interests. Presently, military commanders, at different levels, are involved in the disengagement and de-escalation process with China in Eastern Ladakh. There is a requirement to provide greater impetus to military diplomacy as India has been confronted by the need for negotiation in the past as seen in ceasefire agreements, exchange of prisoners of war, border confrontations etc. and this is likely to be the case in the future as well. Military diplomacy, with the art of negotiation at its core, would prove to be a force multiplier in tackling any future crisis. The need of the hour, therefore, is to enhance our military diplomacy and negotiation capabilities.
While these blogs will be drawn mostly from open source military and corporate negotiation knowledge, it is hoped and presumed that our military is committing the negotiations it has been having over the years with the Chinese military to institutional memory. Such negotiations and diplomatic interactions range from the routine ones held as periodic border personnel meetings to the more elaborate ones as have been going on in Ladakh in 2020.
@Maitrayee Jha is an Intern at the USI of India. She is presently pursuing BA(Hons) Philosophy at Miranda House, Delhi University.