The Peacenik
Anil Wadhwa, the new Indian Ambassador to Oman, says there is a lot of synergy between the two countries and he will try to reinforce this relationship

It is strange, but true. May be, purely coincidental. The man who played a vital role in shaping up the multilateral body set up at the global level to prohibit chemical weapons almost a decade ago is straddling the most peaceful Gulf state –the Sultanate of Oman – as the Indian envoy. We are talking about Anil Wadhwa, the new Indian Ambassador. What is equally intriguing and interesting is the fact that his spouse too is a career diplomat, serving the home country’s ‘interests’ across the globe. Together, sometimes. Far away, some times. That’s life and that, in brief, is the history of the Wadhwa couple.

The salt-and-pepper haired Wadhwa – a multi-linguist to the core – is a disarmament protagonist. Despite his multiple stints in the Dragon land, the People’s Republic of China, Anil was lucky enough to observe and absorb the reform process that his host country was experiencing in the 1980s. For a fresh Indian Foreign Service official, it was a dream start. Perhaps it was his Chinese posting that helped him understand the troubled transition his home country went through a decade later. Military might was not enough.

“The world has changed. Political clout based on military strength does not get a purchase these days,” declares Anil, seated at the India House, his current habitat on the shores of Qurrum beach, on an early November afternoon. Prove your economic strength and you’re accepted in the highest of high circles, grandiosely declares the soft-spoken diplomat. More than military clout, economic might is a necessity, if Anil is to be believed.

Anil has a valid point. If you notice that is the reason many developing countries like India and Brazil have begun to have a major say in world affairs. Anil asks rhetorically: “Can you believe that the G-8 now consult countries like India on a slew of issues: environment, trade talks, debt and poverty reduction, HIV AIDS, etc.?” Adding after a short pause: “Developing countries play and contribute a lot at multilateral institutions,” driving home his considered view that the old style of diplomacy has no relevance in the globalisation-driven scenario. “No single superpower can call shots and dominate… Understand that even superpowers have constraints.”

Diplomatic Career
Diplomacy, according to him, is popular all over the world. Why? “Perhaps. It is one profession where people can combine career and ‘see’ the world!” Wadhwa is not exaggerating. In his own career, spanning two-and-a-half decades, he has seen HongKong, China, the Netherlands, Switzerland and, of course, his homeland. There’s something more to the career he pursues with a child-like curiosity. “You learn a lot as you grow. No single day is the same. You’re challenged mentally daily. One day, you dabble in multilateral issues. The other day, a bilateral issue,” explains Wadhwa, his enthusiasm evident.

Does the career lead to a Jekyll and Hyde syndrome? That is, do diplomats lead two different lives: one, a public face – sporting the most charming and best behaviour–and the other personal–something totally different? Wadhwa assesses the import of the query with a nonchalance befitting a career diplomat. Clearing his throat, he gets to the core: “The station in life demands a particular set of behaviour. Believe me, a diplomat can ill-afford to conduct oneself as an ordinary national from the home country. It is a huge responsibility.”

What about the ‘stiff upper lip’ tag? “You’re wrong,” interjects Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, India’s Ambassador to Sweden, currently on a short vacation to help her spouse set home in a new country. “Diplomats are not stiff upper-lipped. We are like anybody else. At formal and official interactions, we may appear a bit reserved. But if we know people personally, we are different.”

Adds Wadhwa: “If you are garrulous, you can’t speak your mind. On the contrary, you are supposed to keep quiet. Similarly, as a diplomat, I cannot have a favourite or prejudice. It does not mean I lose my original and real personality due to career constraints. We adapt to a situation. Some diplomats find it difficult. But a good envoy adapts easily.” Chips in Deepa, “We have loosened up a lot these days. There are more public fora to disseminate information. Everything is out for everyone to see. The rules of the game have changed. It is a prejudiced view to say that diplomats enjoy maintaining a stiff upper lip.”

Wadhwa’s pet theme, expectedly, is disarmament. Reminiscing his Geneva days, he says, “There was a global consensus achieved in 1978 to do away with nuclear weapons. Somehow issues got diluted over the years with the focus shifting to weapons of mass destruction and even conventional arms race.” How does he perceive today’s world? “Dangerous place, it is,” comes a quick response. But he hastens to add that the porous borders combined with elements of terrorism and loose nukes are making the task of assessing the current scenario unpredictable.

Oman Agenda
On an average, Wadhwa has spent roughly three-and-half years at every posting. So, what’s up for the next three-and-a-half years in Oman? “In the first 100 days, I will be working towards greater coordination and cooperation between Indian and Omani private sector. There is a lot of synergy between the two countries and I will try to reinforce this relationship. I will try to take the special purpose vehicle route (investment fund route) to promote two-way trade and investment. He is gung-ho, given the economic buoyancy of the Sultanate. He harps on the successful drive to move away from oil-dependency and the huge infrastructure developmental activities that are reverberating throughout the length and breadth of Oman.

Homely Truths
And on a personal note, he is thankful to His Masters back home, the Government of India. The authorities have been very ‘considerate’ in ensuring the Wadhwa couple do stay in unison most of the time. They have worked in the same country and the same embassy on a number of times. Or occasionally worked in neighbouring countries. Thus, while Anil was in Geneva and The Hague, Deepa was in Stockholm! ‘We never missed each other,” butts in Deepa, a chemistry major.

Given the fact that they belong to the same cadre and nurse the same ambition, viz., to promote their home country abroad, they do exchange notes on a variety of issues. They use other as ‘sounding boards’. That their home country has benefited immensely from this ‘power’ couple is no exaggeration.

How long the Chopin-loving and tennis-playing Anil has to wait for Deepa to join and ‘explore’ the beautiful country called Oman is just a question of time. After all, the benevolent couple have benevolent masters back home. Till then, the history major has a long laundry list to attend to in his new posting. Good luck, Sir!

– Ramesh Kumar