Mongolia’s flag
I have never been to Mongolia but it had me at Ulaanbaatar. What a name to have for a city and the capital! It is like Burkina Faso and its capital Ouagadougou. I also like Mongolia’s flag, especially the artwork on the left. Other than the minimalist simplicity of the Ashok Chakra on India’s flag, this is one is quite attractive. But I digress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of $1 billion in aid to Mongolia during his current visit is a smart move. When you consider that Mongolia’s GDP is about $12 billion ($11.52) the Indian aid represents nearly ten percent of that. But then you have to see Mongolia’s GDP in the context of its barely 3 billion population giving them a per capita GDP of $4,056.40. It happens to be a very big country for a population that size. At 1,564,116 square kilometres, which is half of India’s size, it is the 19th largest country in the world. It is like India having a population of less than six million.
Most importantly though India and Mongolia have had a long cultural bond via Buddhism which reached Mongolia courtesy of Tibet and the Dalai Lamas. In fact, as I point out in my book “Dalai Lama: Man Monk Mystic”, Dalai is Mongolian for “vast” or “ocean-like” and Lama means a teacher or by implication someone who is wise. Together Dalai Lama means a teacher with vast, ocean-like wisdom. The title of Dalai Lama Vajradhra (the All Embracing Lama, Holder of the Thunderbolt) was given by the Mongol warrior Altan Khan(1507–1582).
Coming back to the more modern times, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ulaanbaatar, as P. Stobdan points out in his excellent analysis on the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA) website, “India-Mongolia relations have underpinnings in the age-old historical and cultural relationships spanning over 2500 years. In fact, between the 12th and 19th centuries, many Mongol rulers titled themselves as Chakravartin Khan. Today, the country, located in the remote northeast of Asia, remains the last frontier where Indic cultural imprints remain strong. The incarnate of the last Mongol theocratic Khalka Jebdtsundamba (historical lineage of Acharya Taranath) lived in India until he died recently. The demise of Communism and the revival of Buddhism have added a new dimension to Indo-Mongolian relations.”
In the context of the predominance of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, the 14th Dalai Lama is an immensely popular figure there. It works in India’s favor that he has made India his home for the past 56 years. These may be mere trimmings on the old cultural ties but they make the Mongolian people feel the cultural affinities.
The two countries have upgraded their relationship from comprehensive to strategic during Modi’s visit, which is a good thing but it should bear in mind the deep cultural roots that they have shared. Being the first Indian prime minister to visit Mongolia makes Modi something of a pioneer and it is as good a start as he could have given it.