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Foreign minister S Jaishankar today found a Ramayana reference to his job — and an epic  diplomat. In an exclusive, wide-ranging  interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Jaishankar spoke of finding examples in the Indian context for things instead of borrowing from the west.

In this context, he said even his job was featured in the great epic Ramayan.

“Hanuman was big diplomat. An actual diplomat, since he was sent to Lanka as an envoy,” he told NDTV.

“Hanuman also had an intelligence mission. He had to gain information on Sita. And he was also an activist diplomat, since on his way out, he caused them great loss,” Mr Jaishankar said, referring to the burning of Lanka, the capital of the demon king Ravan, who had abducted SIta.

He also spoke of the diplomatic tactics and mind games that Hanuman had employed while in the audience hall of Ravan.

“He managed to sit on a higher seat than the king and his ministers, which put them at a psychological disadvantage,” Mr Jaishankar said, pointing out that so much of it is relevant even today.