“Friends” and “enemy” has been since the time and it is not just in human nature or in human world, evidences are scattered all around the nature and ecosystem also.
Keeping the friends close and enemy closer provides an opportunity for critical improvement in thought, attitude, behavior and it only make us higher achiever. Arthashastra, written by Kautilya (Chanakya) oldest collective account of state-craft in the world; has insights of diplomacy based on keeping friends close and enemy closer. He suggested how king must keep an account of activities of enemy more than the friends. This certainly brings a competitive perfection in one’s preparation.
If a king knows that enemy is stressing on army buildup and entering army alliance with other nation, then this is a time to prepare for securing his own people and adopt measure that leads to aim.
These principles also applicable in modern diplomacy, where one nation tries to engage with perceived enemy and potential competitor for co-operation remaining close. South China Sea dispute has been always a curiosity for diplomatic tables. China and Japan has been engaging bilaterally to solve the issue. They spoke against each other vigorously but Japan has big chunk of trade with China. Investment lobby in Japan is more interested in China than India. India is friend but China is enemy and competitor for Japan. Therefore, India accounts for only 1% of Japan’s Export.
But how this engagement is making potential improvement? Japan has amended pacifist constitution to engage in military trade and to grow as pronounces military power in pacific. Restriction on Japan was placed on the backdrop of World War II, but Japan now taking on critical improvements for their nation and people and taking measures to protect its citizens. It seems Arthashastra is working well in this case.
Keeping friend close and enemy closer is not only for diplomatic water but also for our personal and professional life. When we were a child in school, we had faced similar situation where one child keeps on holding first position and other try to de-throne him/her. Sometime form within that class, one gets succeed and holds pole position. And it is not a co-incidence that new first ranker is the close friends of old first ranker. Because improvement on self is possible only for a limit, when one saturates his limits, there is no room left for improvement for one on his own. This saturation can be broke by adding extra element of closed enemy whose skills are outstanding than ours. We can collaborate, co-operate, learn and tech each other, then table might turn and both individuals will now more perfect that earlier.
Nature has also interesting arrangement keeping enemy closer. In our environment growth of every species is bound by the habitat condition and food. Every ecosystem designed in the way where producer and predator lives together. Imagine what would happen if predator that is enemy is removed form system? It is certain that particulate species will die soon and will join the list of extinct species. Why this will happen after all there is no enemy? Because if predator will be removed there is no limit on the grown like birth rate is shooting up and death rate is closing to zero. This situation will be unsustainable and soon whole habitat will run out of food and everyone will starve. Therefore it necessary to keep the enemy closer.
So far learning is concerned for enemy it gives us opportunity to promote healthy competition. One can see the communication revolution. Only 15 years before somewhere in year 2000, mobile was astonishing devise that delivers out live two way commination and even without wires. Now in today people usually talk about making calls as far as mobile is concerned. It is becoming more personal assistant and government is using to deliver services for citizens like “Crop Insurance App” and “Agri Market App”. This whole technology boom was because of constructive competition which is brought by the companies by keeping track of their rivals and learning form them and presenting similar services in more efficient, cheap, reliable and faster way. This has changed our society for ever.
India and Pakistan both are like sworn enemies. Both countries are facing similar problem like Poverty, Inequality, Gender disparity, Exploitation in every possible form (Human trafficking, Child Labor) and drug trafficking. I agree that quantum of problem in India is far lesser than in Pakistan but we should not meagerly satisfy with this crude statistics. We need to get closed with our perceived enemy to unlock the potential which is lying under cease fires, Infiltration, terrorism, Extremism. We are resource deficient but together can become world powers. India and Pakistan have not tried to keep closer that’s why Unites States Of America and China has been seeking benefits out of it and limiting the potential of India as well as Pakistan.
But recent surprise visit of Prime Minister of India has showed that it is going to change. Prime Minister of India went to Russia which is all weather friend of India and on way back they went to Kabul as planned and made surprise halt in Lahore. This shows that we keeping our friend close i.e Russia and went on planned visit and enemy closer i.e. in case Pakistan un-planned. Which is great gesture of keeping enemy closer than a friend.
Therefore, keeping our enemy closer is meticulous strategy that boost our potential and provides us opportunity to grow by suggesting what we can try next. It also keeps us away from unproductive jealousy, crying, self-doubt and most dangerous self-accusation. It has been beneficial in past also where Rama used the knowledge of Vibhishana to kill Ravana. In modern competitive world it gives us an upper hand over enemy and prepares us to become higher achiever in social, political, economic, professional life. It infuses the positivity that world did not end yet there are other way to bang on the target. That’s why keep friend close and enemy closer and lead a highly productive life.
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