The Mahabharata, the ancient story of Bharata, is a well-known and widely read work that was written by Vyasa and Ganesh together. This is a tale of ancient times when nations across the lands were eager to expose their flaws, yet clung to noble strands of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', the world as one big home until they clashed in an epic war, and blood and tears did foam. It presents before us a string of diverse yet, realistic characters from all sections of the then societies, ranking from the royals to the nobles, the intelligentsia to the mechanised labours, the ascetics to the renowned gurus, the faithful admirers to the revolutionists, the exceptional to the generals and much more and their provisions of mutual existence. Hence, on one side or the other, it proves to be the most relevant topic to be understood every now and then. The question is, how does this matter for Bharat's global role and influence in the present times?
Shanti Sabha and the G20 Summit [2023]
As the hour of doom drew near, and the fate of millions hung in the balance, Krishna stepped forth to seek a peaceful resolution with the Kauravas. He offered them a vision of harmony, prosperity, and friendship, and urged them to renounce their greed and hatred. Krishna's words were full of wisdom and compassion, but they fell on deaf ears. Duryodhan, the epitome of hypocrisy, was not moved by his plea. He clung to his selfish desires and spurned the offer of peace. Krishna's offer of peace was met with hostility and arrogance. Duryodhan further enhanced to seize him as a prisoner, showing his contempt for the noble cause. He rejected the chance of a lasting alliance and chose the path of war.
China ignored and mocked Bharat's call for 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', a Sanskrit phrase that means 'the world is one family'. Xi refused to attend the G20 summit, showing his hypocrisy and disdain for Bharat's vision of global cooperation. He may have thought that he was exposing Bharat's failure to unite the world leaders, but his absence revealed a new Mahabharata, one that was different from the ancient epic. How?
Shifting the arena from Kurukshetra to Pragati Maidan:
No one could match the might of Bhishma, the lord of war and protector of the realm. He was the eldest and the bravest of all the heroes, and his life was his own to give. Despite this, he was bound to follow the wishes of the royal family members and command the Kaurava allied forces against his ideals of proper administration and good governance, the Pandavas. Guru Drona, the revered guru of the Kaurava clan and master of all the known weapons, too had no option against standing for his inefficient pupils who betrayed the purpose of knowledge - the savior of the future of the world. Karna, the other master of mechanics and arms & ammunition, tried a lot to persuade Duryodhan to establish peace and would rather go alone, to fight and establish a better administration in the world under his name but failed to convince his dearest one. Shakuni, a genius in politics, always wished and conned against the strength of Bhishma and assume his role of king-maker in Hastinapur before he knew his adamant, mighty yet idiot nephew would eventually expel him after victory. Vidur, a great thinker, philosopher, statesman, and Prime Minister, was expelled by King Dhritrashtra for his voice against his veto-powered son and this became the ultimate turn of a failing hypocrisy.
Bharat became a part of the G20 Troika on the second day of December 2021. The next year, it joined the summit in Bali as a member of the elite group. And then, it got the honor of hosting the summit in 2023 as the president. The eldest global economy of the modern world, Great Britain, attentively heard the sessions, affirmed the global subjects, and upheld Bharat's take on respective domains justifiably opportune for every individual member. The tech hub of the world, Germany, made high-level participation at the events and reviewed the bilateral and multi-lateral progress in technology transformation. Indeed, it sought a deeper dive into the critical aspects of the need-of-the-hour i.e. Technology, and made commitments to bolster its ties with Bharat regarding the same. Japan, the other automation and tech giant, remarked on the collaboration of the international community to tackle the crises the world economy is facing through urgent actions on SDGs. Japan showed its support to "Lifestyle For Environment (LiFe)" promoted by P.M. Modi and advanced its hand to transform the lifestyles of people. The US, known to be the most powerful country, also acclaimed Bharat for its courageous step of bringing world leaders on board to drive solutions to the most pressing areas. Biden pressed for the urgent call on climate financing and urged Bharat to innovate such policies that would aid the world on the SDGs promised at the Paris Agreement and COP28. However, the US government has made no absolute targets domestically. P.M. Modi, one of the most beloved world leaders, has been championing a shared and sustainable partnership among the world communities since 2014 on various global platforms like the UN, BRICS, G20, and others. The world has recognized his steadiness and integrity in his words and actions, and thus, accepted his invitation to Bharat Mandapam without worrying about what Xi had to say.
"One World, One Family, One Future"
The theme of the G20 summit [2023] held at the Bharat Mandapam, a symbol of Bharat's rise and youth leadership, as well as its commitment to the global community, "One World, One Family, One Future" reflects the spirit and vision of Bharat for an unabated progress of the world community through global partnerships. The leaders and organisations who assume the most vital responsibilities to tackle global issues like food and energy security, digital economy, women empowerment, technology transformation, climate financing, and others, came together to sign and assign roles and obligations in individual capacities to the noble goals. These are the domains that echo the legacy of Arjuna and his clan in the Mahabharata era. These are the domains that shake the foundations of the current systems and ideologies of governance across the world.
The African Union felt a surge of joy and gratitude when Bharat invited them to the prestigious global forum. They knew that China and the North had poured billions into their continent, but they also knew that money could not buy the feeling of belonging to a family. Remember how Yuyutsu had defied his own kin and joined the Pandavas on the first day of the epic war? They admired his courage and integrity, and they hoped to emulate him.
Duryodhan may have been powerful and influential in the Mahabharata era, but time has shown that history can repeat itself in different ways. China should abandon its sanctimoniousness and embrace the world as a family of diverse strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, it may face a new Mahabharata, orchestrated by Vidur from Bharat's clan, who will expose its flaws and challenge its dominance.