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Thirukkurals on Management |
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Thirukkural on Management ( 10 Kurals ) - M.S VINCENT
Thirukkurals on Management 1) Approach towards the higher authorities.2) Decision making3) Leadership4) Administration5) Project Planning6) Communication7) Recruitment8) Delegation of Powers9) Motivation10) Diplomacy
Those who are working close to them, should not take the advantage of their closeness and go too nearer. If displeased, it will lead to undesirable results. At the same time moving too far is also not advisable because, that will end in being branded ' inefficient ' or ' incapable'. In modern days, those who are very close to political elements, when misunderstanding develops, face severe consequences.
they should remain like people who sit in an apt place beside the fire for warmth ( Kural 691)
In England when King Henry II (1133 - 1189 ) was in power , Thomas Becket was the chief assistant in the management of public administration. He was very close to the king. King made him the Archbishop of Canterbury ( Head of the Church of England ,1162 AD ). Becket went in bad books with the king , escaped to France, returned after six years and stayed in the Cathedral ( Church )
One day King was shouting in the palace, " Is there no one who will rid me of this turbulent priest ?" The four knights standing around understood that the king wants the Bishop to be killed. They went in search of him shouting , " Where is the traitor Becket ? " " Here I am, I am no traitor but a priest of God ". Becket said staying in Canterbury cathedral ( Church ). No sooner than the Bishop finished speaking did the knights killed him (1170 AD ). Thomas Becket murder remains one of the most famous stories associated with medieval England .
2000 years ago Thiruvalluvar had clearly said not to go too close to the kings or higher authorities.
அகலாது அணுகாது தீக்காய்வார் போல்க இகல்வேந்தர்ச் சேர்ந்து ஒழுகுவார் (691) (Those who work under higher authorities should neither go too close nor too far, they should remain like people who sit in an apt place besides fire for warmth.) மேல் அதிகாரிகளுடன் பழகுவோர், நெருங்காமலும், நீங்காமலும், குளிர்காய்வாற்போல் இருக்க வேண்டும். அகலாது = not going too far. அணுகாது = not moving too close. தீக்காய்வார் = those who remain for warmth before fire. இகல்வேந்தர் = king/ CEO/ top managers ,etc சேர்ந்து ஒழுகுவார் = serve with/under Those who work with the top officials, should never go too close or too far. ======================================================================= 2)Thirukkural on Decision Making
Whether an individual or a family or a firm or a country, decision making is a tough task. Some times crucial decision making becomes nerve rocking leading to mental trauma.
Today, decision making is made into a science with techniques like grid analysis, paired analysis etc. Through Brain storming techniques, all possible decisions in large scale is pooled, The strength, weakness and opportunities are discussed and the best decision is selected.
When a good decision is made, it brings desired results. In 1945, during the second world war, when Japan was aggressive and adamant , US President Harry Truman decided to drop two atomic bombs on Japan, as a result the war came to an end. According to historians, if bombs were not dropped, the war would have continued and brought much more disaster to the world countries. Many say the decision of US was inevitable.
Thiruvalluvar says in Kural 467:
In the Kural 671, Thiruvalluvar says:
"Delay the actions which are not important, தூங்குக = delay, தூங்கற்க = delay not, தூங்காது செய்யும் வினை= actions which cannot be delayed (urgent).
In hospital emergency units, patients are treated on priority. Patients with life threatening problems are attended immediately. During the war time, government gives top priority to the military services.
3) LEADERSHIP
During the time of Thiruvalluvar , the kings were the rulers (leaders). Today the Chief Executive of a country (President of US, PM of UK, PM of India, etc ) is the leader of the government.
In fact the leadership is not a position, it is the responsibility of directing successfully an organisation towards the fixed goals. A potential leader has the critical responsibility of doingright things and making others to do those things right.
With all precise planning, if there is no dynamic leadership, any organisation will fall. There is no universal definition for a good leadership, the task of any leader depends very much on arising situations..
Thiruvalluvar had identified some basic qualifications for a good king which is very much applicable in the modern context to the top leaders. Kural 382 says a king should have courage, generosity, knowledge, zeal and alertness (alertness added in the kural 383)
A leader should be courageous. During the tough times, he has to make solid decisions, he cannot be soft peddling, he has to handle the situation bravely. He needs moral and physical courage to face the unexpected failures. In those days kings met enemies face to face in war fields, to-day it is the mental battle in making crucial decisions. Bravery is a must, whether it is for physical or mental deed.
A leader should be generous or considerate towards his subordinates, it should be kept in mind , if right persons are not rewarded at appropriate time, they will become demoralized. A leader should handle the work related worries of workers with care and concern. A leader should be generous while sanctioning compensations and merciful while granting remissions.
A leader should be knowledgeable, he should be intelligent enough to weigh the pros and cons of issues by using the reasoning, reflection and foresight. He should come out with corrective measures to resolve the issues.
A leader should have power to motivate others, in case of most critical time, he has to motivate himself by using auto suggestions. He should not expect his subordinates to motivate him in critical times.
A leader should be always alert, it is an inevitable ingredient in an effective leadership .Mental alertness and physical vitality will help to plug certain organisational loop holes.
For a successful leader as qualifications , the modern management uses words like determination, decisiveness, optimism, confident, commitment, vision, aggression, etc, etc . But Thiruvalluvar had accommodated all these micro qualities in a broad sense. " Courage, generosity, knowledge (wisdom), motivation (Zeal) are the four essential elements of a successful leader (King)"
அஞ்சாமை ஈகை அறிவூக்கம் இந்நான்கும் தூங்காமை கல்வி துணிவுடைமை அம்மூன்றும் அஞ்சாமை = Courage, ஈகை = generosity, அறிவு = Knowledge, ஊக்கம் = motivation. தூங்காமை = Alertness
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) THIRUKKURAL ON ADMINISTRATION
An 'acronym' is a word formed by using the first letters of many words. Students of management are aware of the acronym coined by Luther Gulick in 1937 which is POSDCORB. This term is widely used in the field of Public Administration. In fact, it explains the functional elements of the work of a leader. P = planning O = Organising S = Staffing D = Directing CO = Co ordinating R = Reporting B = Budgetting.
Thiruvalluvar speaks of these skills required for an able administrator in many kurals. In modern management SWOT analysis is used to evaluate any company's Strength, Weakness Opportunities and Threats. ( SWOT is another acronym). By using SWOT analysis company's- Strength can be assessed, weakness can be corrected, opportunities can be exploited and threat can be countered.. In the Kural 471 Thiruvalluvar says, While Planning a project- The strength of the project, strength of our own, strength of the opponents and strength of the partners should be weighed. வினை வலியும்/ தன் வலியும்/ மாறறான் வலியும்/ துணை வலியும்/ தூக்கிக் செயல் ( 471 ) Organizing is the set of activities which are essential for effective management. For the success of any management right planning and organizing are essential. Kurals 382 and 383 say- For leaders- courage, generosity, knowledge, motivation, alertness are essential. Unless theses skills are present efficient planning and organizing are not possible. Staffing is bringing in the people with required skills and getting the work done through them. Kural 504 cautions, While recruiting candidate's merit and demerit should be weighed and selection should be done with right judgment. Kural 517 says , Thus selected persons should be allowed to function on their own . It means there should not be any micro management . Directing is guiding the subordinates to function according to the organisation's plans. Many management experts refer directing to leadership and decision making. A leader should know what is happening to everybody at all times. A good leader should have the knowledge of every thing that happens under him, then only he can direct the subjects in the right direction. Co ordination is making the different people to work with right understanding to achieve the goals, It is interlinking various activities of a project. Kural 568 advises that a leader should call his subordinates and discuss. A leader who does not consult his associates will function with anger and reduce the capital. Also kural 677 advises to go for the consultations of the experts in the field. செய்வினை செய்வான்/செயல்முறை /அவ்வினை/ உள்ளறிவான்/ உள்ளம் கொளல் ( 677 )
உள்ளறிவான் =An expert who knows in and out , உள்ளம் கொளல் = use his experience ( consult him ). Reporting is keeping others informed about the on going activities, maintaining required records and preparing final report. In this regard , no doubt the subordinates would be proud if the organisational matters are relayed to them, but Thiruvalluvar says, it should be done with caution. Disclosure of certain assignments before the completion, will lead to innumerable problems.( 663 ) This is applicable in certain war times military strategic operations which should never be disclosed till successfully executed. In modern days, the features of new electronic products are not revealed till they are released.
Budgetting is nothing but preparing probable list of income and expenditure.( fiscal planning ) Kural 478 says- Even if the income is less, does not matter, if the expenditure does not exceed the income. Thiruvalluvar advises surplus budget, in case of deficit budget, the deficit should be taken care through reasonable taxation by Governments,in case of manufactures, by competitive price increase, cost cut, lay off, retrenchment, etc. In the families depending up on monthly fixed income, the expenditure should never exceed the income. There should be some savings to meet any unexpected expenses. The accepted thinking is, " Maximize the income and minimize the expenditure " Thirukkural speaks on many subjects, what he had said for kings and ministers of ancient days are rightly applicable for CEOs , head of the Governments and council of ministers of modern days..Thirukkural 487 in Tamil ஆகு ஆறு/ அளவு இட்டிது ஆயினும் கேடுஇல்லை/ போகு ஆறு/ அகலாக்கடை (478)
ஆகு ஆறு = Income, போகு ஆறு = Expenditure ======================================= 5) Project Planning
IT IS WISELY SAID, "ANY PLAN IS BETTER THAN NO PLAN". IN MODERN COMPETITIVE WORLD, PLANNING IS THE FIRST AND THE FOREMOST STEP TO START ANY PROJECT OR BUSINESS. EFFECTIVE PLANNING WITH PROPER PROJECT WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.IN FACT PROJECT PLANNING IS A PART OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT.THERE ARE DEFINED STAGES IN PROJECT PLANNING. IN MODERN DAYS GANTT CHARTS ARE WIDELY USED. IT IS A BAR CHART THAT EXPLAINS THE START AND FINISH DATES INCLUDING THE DEPENDENCIES IN PROJECT. THIS CHART WILL HELP TO MONITOR EFFECTIVELY THE PROGRESS OF A PROJECT.IN KURAL 464, THIRUVALLUVAR GIVES A GENERAL GUIDANCE TO BE ADHERED BEFORE STARTING ANY PROJECT,
" The project in which the issues are not clear, No person afraid of public disgrace will start." தெளிவி லதனைத் தொடங்கார் இளிவென்னும் தெளிவி லதனை = Projects in which the Issues are not clear Only after clearing all the issues ( existing and foreseen problems ), a project should be started. Before starting a project, consider the expenditure, the return , the profit and then proceed,( 461) அழிவதூஉம் ஆவதூஉம் ஆகி வழிபயக்கும ஊதியமுஞ் சூழ்ந்து செயல்.( 461)
"Treasure, instrument, Time, deed and place of execution, Consider well these factors and then start the action,"
பொருள்= Treasure, கருவி = Instrument, காலம் = time , வினை= Deed, , இடம் = place
Treasure or capital is the foremost criteria, insufficient capital will abort any progressive project. In modern days ' Stakeholders' who sponsor a project are very important, potential stakeholders should be identified and a good relationship should be developed. 2)Instrument ( Man power, material and machine ) Instrument includes men with required skills sets, material, machine, etc. 3)Time ( Suitable period ) Time includes accurate Time estimation, setting dead line etc. Also Time includes season or period, YK2 project can not be planned now, its period is over. 4)Deed or Action Plan (List of activities ) Deed or action plan includes list of activities, preparation of priority list etc. 5)Place of execution , Suitable location to execute the project should be identified. Any farming should have good source of water, manufacturing should have effective transportation and labour cost etc.In modern context BPOs at India provide for the skilled labour at reasonable cost. Manufacturing products in China for low cast labour. Top IT Industries in Bangalore and Silicon Valley ( US ) for its good weather, etc
Considering all the five factors, a project should be devised, properly evaluated and probed to see whether the project will be successful or not. Successful project should be executed keeping in mind certain unexpected hindrances.In kural 466 Thiruvalluvat cautions that even with a well conceived project plan, the project may ruin, "A project will fail, if a manager does what he should not and fails to do what he should" ( Kural 466) செய்தக்க அல்ல செயக்கெடுஞ் செய்தக்க
செய்தக்க அல்ல செயக்கெடும் = If a manager does what he should not , the project will fail. செய்தக்க செய்யாமை யானுங் கெடும் = If a manager fails to do what he should , then also the project will fail.
Whether political or social or business enterprise, efficient project management is very much essential. But certain risk factors may slow down or detail the project, able and efficient management will lessen the chances. Managers with substantial experience will clearly examine the various risk factors that might arise apart from the fine finish of the project and expected profit or benefit.
then fittingly start the project" ( kural 676 )
"consider well the hindrance " is the risk analysis", which demands successful "risk management."
முடிவும்/ இடையூறும் /முற்றியாங்கு எய்தும் படுபயனும்/ பார்த்துச் செயல்
முடிவும் = Final outcome or end , இடையூறும் = Hinderances , படுபயனும்= Benefit or profit Consider the above factors and start a project =======================================================
6) communication skills
Whether a small company or a large corporate establishment, the effective communication skill of its personnel is one of the ingredient s for its success. Style of speaking, body language, expressiveness are the fundamental elements of effective communication. Executives are subjected to present papers on many occasions, if these papers are not well prepared and presented, it will end in a total failure.
Kural 645 gives a guide line: "The words used should be carefully selected so that no other words can effectively replace them."
அச்சொல்லை வெல்லுஞ்சொல் இன்மை = No other word can replace it
Along with eduacation, students should develop communication skill by participating in debates and elocution competitions. In modern days communication skill is very much required to enter into certain key positions.
It should not be forgotten that, for a successful executive, communication skills is not optional but mandatory.
" A widely learned man, if cannot communicate well, All his learning is a waste" பல்லவை கற்றும் பயமிலரே நல்லவையுள் நன்கு செலச்சொல்லா தார். = Those who cannot communicate well. உளரெனினும் இல்லாரொடு ஒப்பர் களன்அஞ்சிக்
" A learned man afraid of speaking to an assembly of wise is nothing but an eunuch with a sharp sword in hand in a war field." ( An eunuch is neither male or female person ) பகையகத்துப் பேடிகை ஒள்வாள் அவையகத்து
7)Thirukkural On RECRUITMENT
Thiruvalluvar speaks of effective recruitment in the Kural 507.
Recruiting a right person is a challenging task for every manager or HR Personnel.
Right recruitment strategies will bring spectacular results. Poor recruitment will affect the entire performance of the organisation.
Because of the fond affection , in modern days, selecting "unfit or unworthy" candidates from family circle or friends circle for responsible posts had become common , it is referred as nepotism.
Nepotism is the favour shown to the relatives or friends without considering the merits. Indian political and administrative systems are notoriously known for nepotism which had led the Nation towards wide spread corruption.
In India , bribery is an extra constitutional growth which had given birth to faulty recruitments leading to unworthy and untrusted people occupying top decision making posts. Even Indian Armed Forces are not exempted. Thiruvalluvar warns that faulty recruitments will lead to endless problems and troubles to the managers or higher authorities and ultimately bring disaster to the country or organisation.
In case, a manager is forced to recruit an unfit candidate, what he has to do? He should not trust him, by using some "checks and balances" the candidate should be monitored, otherwise he will create continuous worries to the manager leading to frustration. In simple terms :
"Trusting unworthy and doubting worthy" - both will cause constant worries (Kural 510) unworthy= totally unfit for the post, worthy= totally fit for the post தேரான் தெளிவுந் தெளிந்தான்கண் ஐயுறவும் தேரான் தெளிவும் = Trusting unworthy, தெளிந்தான்கண் ஐயுறவும்= Doubting worthy. தீரா இடும்பை தரும். = will lead to constant worries.
In modern days, the successful Corporate Companies concentrate much on the right process of recruitment. They totally avoid nepotism in filling the key posts. Thiruvalluvar cautions against the faulty recruitment by nepotism in the kural 507. He says, it will cause disaster to the administration.
Well established firms will also fall if unworthy people who are selected by favouritism occupy the key posts. It is a wonder Thiruvalluvar speaks of the principles of modern management 2000 years ago. It shows the immortality and universality of Thirukkural
In simple terms, the essence of kural 507 is
"Recruitment made through favouritism (nepotism) will lead to all kinds of disaster." ( kural 507 )
In Tamil :
காதன்மை கந்தா அறிவு அறியார்த் தேறுதல் பேதைமை எல்லாம் தரும் ( 507 )
காதன்மை = Favourtism because of fond affection பேதைமை = all kinds of disaster
======================
The students of modern management are familiar with the term delegation of powers. It is an art of getting the work done through others by delegating some responsibilities to them. No matter how capable a manager is, carrying the entire burden of achieving the organization's goals by himself is impossible. Along with technical, analytical and organizational skills, a manager should have good ability to delegate certain responsibilities to the right people at the right time.
A person selected for delegating the responsibility should be trust worthy and efficient to do that particular task. A King/CEO/Minister/Manager should be careful in selecting the right person. Once Selected, he should be allowed to complete the task and higher authorities should not interfere unnecessarily. This principle of modern management has been explained in Kural 517.
In simple words:
"A manager should select a right person for a particular work after considering that he would complete the work by using these means and then allow him to complete the work without any interference" இதனை இதனால் இவன்முடிக்கும் என்றாய்ந்
A delegate selected to represent a Nation in an International Forum should have powerful communication skill.He should have a tested knowledge in the International affairs, otherwise , he will bring discredit to the Nation.
9) THIRUKKURALS ON MOTIVATION
"Motivation" (ஊக்கம் ) is the inner urge in the mind to achieve the aspired goals. We all have read the book of Vincent Norman Peale , 'The Power of Positive thinking". It is printed in 41 languages and sold more than 20 million copies. The book says," Feeling of confidence depends upon the type of thoughts that habitually occupy our mind." Thoughts that occupy our mind determines our quality of life. Mind is always filled with positive and negative thoughts, the success in life depends upon the type of thoughts that fill in our minds. Our thoughts and motivations are the architect of our destiny.
Thiruvalluvar says in the Kural 593
Those who are with high motivation , even if they lose all their possessions, will never feel desperate. ஆக்கம் இழந்தோம் என்று அல்லாவார் ஊக்கம் ஒருவந்தம் கைத்து உடையார். ( 593 )
Motivation is a bundle of enthusiasm , zeal , will power , diligence , initiation , inspiration , self determination , etc which are the features of mind. If these are in mind , even if all the wealth is lost , nothing is lost. Such persons will emerge like phoenix birds by their will power and high motivation.
The spear that missed to kill an elephant is worth holding ( in the hand ) than the arrow that killed a hare ( rabbit ). கான முயல் எய்த அம்பினில் யானை பிழைத்த வேல் ஏந்தல் இனிது (772) Jemsetji Tata started Asia's first and India's largest Iron and Steel industry , Taj Mahal Hotel, Electricity generating plant, etc, all were elephant hunting. He never went for rabbit hunting . To-day TATA sectors are the largest private sectors in India.
For highly motivated people losing is the first step to win. It should not be forgotten that great failures are the high motivations.
Alfred Nobel was experimenting on developing Nitroglycerine as a safe explosive. In 1864 there was a major explosion in his factory which killed his brother Emil and a few others. The Government authorities asked him to close the factory. Anybody would have been discouraged and dropped the project, but Alfred Nobel through his self motivation determined to continue. He considered the failure as the first step to success.He hired an anchored small ship in the lake Malaren and continued his efforts, developed safe detonators, made huge money in the business, instituted NOBEL PRIZE, which is the greatest prize of the world to-day.
To excel in a business, high motivation should be developed. In organisations, the manager should keep his team always highly motivated to reach the goals. 'Start moving' and 'Stand moving' both need motivation, only when there is a start , there will be a move. In the kural 596 Thiruvalluvar talks about high objectives -
The objectives and aims should always be fixed high, Even if not achieved, those thoughts should not be changed. (596) உள்ளுவது எல்லாம் உயர்யு உள்ளல் மற்றது தள்ளினும் தள்ளாமை நீர்த்து.
Alfred Nobel did not change his objectives when his brother was killed . His high objective of developing safe detonator was finally succeeded. . Any motivation is governed by mind sets, to some students any attempt of motivation to learn mathematics go in vain, but every student wants to learn motorbike riding or computer operating. Why ? it is the mind set, it is the driving force in the inner mind to learn certain interesting subjects.
Self motivation ( intrinsic ) is very important for those who hold high ranks, in critical time , they have to motivate themselves through auto- suggestions and solve the issues. In the Corporate companies, status, job security, remuneration, recognition, perks etc give high motivation to the employees. Absent of these factors will lead to total demotivation. In fact good motivation will lead to higher morale of the employees
Prof Stephen Hawking suffering from motor neuron disease is wheel chair bound with a very limited physical power, but authored the top seller book, ' A brief history of Time " .His will power and high motivation had made it possible. Deaf and blind Helen Keller became a successful author, lecturer and a political activist in US by her extremely high motivation.
A mind without any motivation will never take any one to any height . If the motivations are high, the achievements will also be high. A small pond of three feet dirty water can not bloom a lotus having thirty feet stem, the stem will grow only till the surface of water. Similarly, to achieve a higher level of success, the motivation level should also be high. This is explained in the kural 595.
The stalk (stem) of a lotus plant grows upto the water height, The achievement of a man goes upto his mind's height. (595 ) mind's height = level of motivation
வெள்ளத்து அனைய மலர் நீட்டம் மாந்தர்தம் உள்ளத்து அனையது உயர்வு.
வெள்ளத்து = water , உள்ளத்து = mind ( will or motivation )
" தண்ணீரின் உயரம்தான் ,பூவின் காம்பின் நீளம் இருக்கும்,உள்ளத்தின் ஊக்க உயரம்தான் , ஒருவனின் உயர்வு இருக்கும்."======================================================================
Thirukural on International Relations.
10) DIPLOMATS
Diplomats are the ambassadors or envoys or messengers send by one country to another.They are mainly responsible for maintaining
inter country relationship.*Strabo who lived during Augustus Caesar (27 BC - 14 AD ) had mentioned that a Pondian King of South India had sent an ambassador to meetAugustus Caesar with a letter and gifts.
. Diplomatic relation among countries is very much required. He prescribes number of skill sets for them.
They should be scholarly among scholars, they should have extraordinary communication skills with loving nature, appealing personality, pleasing manner, benevolent heart ,
Long time ago, I went to my wife's native place Vellore in Tamil Nadu.We were invited by a known family, the house was traditional brahmin house, after the dinner, I was talking to the eldest women of the house.She showed me a room and said, "This is the room where Radha stayed and attended the college, Radha was very intelligent, pious, dignified with extraordinary communication skills, never insulted any body, ..............." I was wondering, who this Radha who possessed all the skill sets specified by Valluvar.
On the way back, I asked my wife. She said, " Radha is Dr. Radhakrishnan, our former president of India, he stayed in this house and studied in the Voorhes College." The old woman was correct in her assessment. . Dr. Radhakrishnan , a learned among scholars proved an exemplary ambassador. He was the Indian ambassador to USSR from 1949 to 1952 He laid a strong foundation for the Indo-Russia mutual relationship. After this assignment he became the vice-president and then the president of India. Thiruvalluvar prescribes in the Kural 687, the skills required for the top level diplomats,
A top level diplomat is a person who realises very well the responsibilities of his duties, wait for the right time to speak and determine correct place to perform his diplomatic mission using measured words.
கடன் அறிந்து/ காலம் கருதி/ இடன் அறிந்து/ எண்ணி/ உரைப்பான் தலை. (687)
தலை= a top level diplomat To-day diplomatic service is rendered by All India Foreign Service ( IFS ), the personnels are selected from the All India Civil Service Examination, . In heirarchy IFS is next to IAS ans IPS. The skill sets advised by Thiruvalluvar and other required skill sets are inculcated during the 36 months training in the Lal Bhahadur Sastry National Academy, Mussourie.They are given indepth knowledge on major world issues..
Today it is an era of Interdependence, no country is fully independent, every country depends upon other countries for some thing or other. Mighty countries depend upon oil hidden countries for their fuel requirements, highly populated China depends upon US for the sale of cheap labour,many small countries depend upon their exports . International Relation is governed by game plans., every country is selfish.. In fact it is nothing but the survival of fittest, hence diplomatic service had become very crucial. Thiruvalluvar says in the kural 689
even by slip of the tongue, will never utter unworthy words that would bring discredit to his country.
விடு மாற்றும் வேந்தர்க்கு உரைப்பான் வடு மாற்றும் வாய் சோரா வன்கணவன் (689)
An efficient diplomat can convert a deadly enemy country into a potentially friendly country by using his diplomatic tactics. In UNO a diplomat can present his country's views on International issues in a convincing way and impress other countries. The diplomats with acknowleged wisdom and tested knowledge become a great asset to their countries. 2000 years ago Thiruvalluvar had said these diplomats are not free from life threats.
As said by Thiruvalluvar, in the recent past many ambassadors have been killed. . 1970 Armenian ( not American) terrorists killed Turkish diplomat.. 1973 US ambassador Cleo a Noel to Sudan was taken hostage and killed. 1973 American Ambassador Adolp Dubs was killed in Afghan. 2005 Cairo's ambassador to Iraq El Sherif was abducted and murdered. 2010 Indian Embassy in Kabul had a Bomb attack.
In fact many American Ambassadors had faced life threats. In US, in the lobby of Harry S Truman building of the state Department, two memorial plaques are placed with names of diplomats who risked lives during their mission despite of the immunities given by **Vienna convention1961,
King Rajaraja cholan ( 11th Century ) sent one ambassador to Chera king, King insulted and arrested the ambassador. History says, Rajaraja Cholan invaded and defeated Chera King and imprisoned him. Insulting an ambassador is nothing but insulting the sovereign authority itself.
See the Kural 690 in which Thiruvalluvar says about the life threat to the ambassadors. " Even under the threat to life , an ideal ambassador will serve his Nation without any fear " இறுதி பயப்பினும் எஞ்சாது இறைவற்கு
உறுதி பயப்பது ஆம் தூது (690)
எஞ்சாது = without fear
இறைவற்கு = to his King or Nation
தூது = an ideal ambassador In simple words, " an ideal diplomat will complete his mission without fear even if his end approaches" In corporate companies sales and marketing executives are the diplomats, they also need all the skill sets prescribed by Thiruvalluvar.
For Students reference
*Strabo lived during Augustus Caesar Time ( 27 BC -14 AD ), he Compiled book on Geography He was felicitated by Augustus Caesar. Ptolemy had referred Pondian king as Medura Region Pandian. Periplus as referred Pondian king as Pandyan Mediterrea
In 1942, the escavation conducted at Arikumedu near Pondichery unearthed many Roman coins with Augustus Caesar head.which proved the trade relation between Tamilakam and Rome 2000 years ago.
**Vienna convention 1961 had given many immunities (safeguards) to the diplomats. 1) They can not be arrested by the host country ( country where they function ) 2) If the host country is dissatisfied with the functioning of the ambassadors, they should be asked to leave the country , no action could be taken on them. 3) Host country can not enter into the embassy premises without permission, it is the territory of the representing country( extraterritoriality )
High Commissioners are the ambassadors between common wealth countries. Common wealth countries are the countries once ruled by British. The Indian Ambassador to UK is called High Commissioner to UK. ======================================================
Thanks: https://titbitsfromvincent.blogspot.com/2013/07/thirukkural-on-management-10-kurals.html
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by Swathi on 02 Mar 2024 0 Comments | ||||||||
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