Question: What’s common between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, former US President Barack Obama, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to name a few?
Answer: All have received Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “famous bear hugs.”
Now, as humans, we know that few things in life are as universally comforting as a hug. Whether it’s a warm squeeze from a loved one, an encouraging pat from a friend, or an intimate embrace that speaks volumes without words, hugs are a fundamental way we connect.
But PM Modi hugs not his near or dear ones, but world leaders. Some critics have been sceptical and have questioned whether Indian foreign policy benefits from these hugs in today’s world order. Are they correct?
THE DIPLOMATIC CHESSBOARD
International diplomacy today resembles a chessboard, only far more complex. It has not 64, but 195 moving pieces or countries. Each nation is theoretically sovereign and equal. All try to deftly manoeuvre in a game of uncertain rules, where a pawn can suddenly turn into a bishop or a castle following an unexpected constellation of global events; a king might feel so threatened that he decides to move all over the chessboard himself, or a conflict rages in one corner of the chessboard. In contrast, other conflicts, equally serious, are ignored. All countries employ every stratagem to advance their interests, outwit enemies, and cement friendships.
India, without a seat in the Security Council, is no exception. How does the Modi hug fit into this framework?
INDIA’S INTERNATIONAL VISUAL RANKING
Overseas, Modi is more than India’s legal and executive head; he is visually India. When he hugs, India hugs. When he gets attention, India gets attention, as he is, after all, the Indian Prime Minister. Recall that in 1979, Indira Gandhi famously hugged Fidel Castro during the 7th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in New Delhi. BBC in an article “Why Narendra Modi hugs the headlines” informs us that if you “Google ‘Modi hugging’ it spits out more than 300,000 results in under a second.” AI states, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hugs have gained significant attention, making headlines in the media. Another source believes his hugs “get attention, and sometimes that’s the real power.”
Exactly.
With international events followed by scores of media outlets from every corner of the globe, photographers try to capture standout moments. And when 194 out of 195 heads of state greet each other by a traditional handshake, and the only one who hugs is Modi, photographers’ reactions are heliotropic, their lenses turn to him like sunflowers following the sun. India shoots up on the visual snakes and ladders board.
INTERRUPTS EUROPE’S MONOPOLY
Historically, Europe has played a leading role in the development of diplomatic protocol over the centuries, influencing global standards. Many countries have adopted similar protocols in their international relations, including the United Nations.
Modi’s hug upsets this European dominance. His hugs are rooted in our epics. Recall that in the Ramayana, the embrace between Lord Rama and Hanuman symbolizes not just friendship, but a profound, spiritual bond. Similarly, in the Mahabharata, the god Krishna’s embraces with his friends and devotees are portrayed as acts of divine love, emphasizing the spiritual significance of physical connection. The spiritually situated Modi hug is not about dominance but connection and emotional support. It’s about projecting India as warm, safe, and trustworthy. If Gods can hug, why not humans?
There is no logical reason, apart from an unquestioning acceptance of Western norms, why an Indian Prime Minister should not draw upon our rich spiritual roots to humanize international diplomacy, notwithstanding that it will remain primarily characterized by Matsya Nyaya.
‘FIRST MOVER’ ADVANTAGE IN AFRICA
Borrowing from the corporate field and thinking in interdisciplinary terms Modi’s hug gives India a “first-mover advantage” in Africa. Just like a commercial firm aims to gain “competitive edge”, “brand recognition”, “customer loyalty”, “control over resources” before “competitors” arrive and make “higher profits and market share”, the hug does the same for India. Substitute “brand recognition” for distinctiveness, and “customer loyalty” with more countries being amenable to India’s leadership.
Put yourself in the shoes of African leaders, who have grown more vocal in their criticisms of the West. For example, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, stated European leaders viewed Africans as “lesser beings”, operating within a framework of the “dominant” and “dominated.”
Imagine what African leaders and Africans might say to themselves when they see Modi hugging Union of Comoros President and the African Union (AU) chairperson Azali Assouman: “The US doesn’t hug, nor does Europe, but India’s Modi does. Maybe we should follow India more.”
SCIENTIFIC NEUROLOGICAL STUDIES
Neurologists have confirmed that humans are wired by evolution to want to be touched, held, and hugged at all stages of their lives. Neurobiologically, hugging stimulates a network of sensory nerves under the skin, particularly a specialized group called C-tactile afferents. In a carefully controlled laboratory study conducted with 400 participants at Carnegie Mellon University, researchers found that participants who were hugged on most days had approximately 60% lower odds of contracting the infection than those who were rarely hugged.
As an emotional lot, Indians know the power of a “Jadoo Ki Jhappi.” It was Indian soil that gave us Amma, the famous hugging saint who has personally embraced more than 40 million people. Overseas, the Free Hugs campaign was created because one man, Juan Mann, decided his sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. The campaign has spread to many cities, including Sydney, Helsinki, Los Angeles, London, and Paris. Significantly, the popularity of the Free Hugs campaign in Western cities suggests an unsatisfied need for close human touch despite their cultures being generally more averse to hugs and physical closeness compared to other cultures.
FILLING A ‘HUG DEFICIT’
World leaders, like us, are human. But unlike most of us, these leaders are surrounded by foolproof security bristling with guns, whose primary purpose is to ensure that no one gets physically close to the leader. World leaders’ roles require them to wave, nod, and smile in sanitized bubbles, all from a distance. And therein lies a challenge.
The feeling “it’s lonely at the top” is so commonly held by successful people that it has become an idiom. Given the obvious fact that world leaders are also flesh and blood, with the same need to be hugged but are structurally unable to access them like the rest of us, it is not unreasonable to hypothesize that Modi’s hugs are actually addressing a “hug deficit” in world leaders.
Evidence to support this hypothesis is found in the reactions of leaders to his hug: a big smile. One sees Macron smiling being hugged by Modi, the African Union Chief said he was “almost in tears” on Modi’s hug. This is the typical reaction.
THE HUG IS FREE
Gift giving is an integral and ancient part of diplomacy. Recently, President Trump received the winged gift of a luxury Boeing 747 jet valued at $400 million from the Qatari royal family, and the late Saudi king gave the Obama family 1.3 million dollars’ worth of jewels and gifts. In contrast, the Modi hug costs India nothing and cannot be bettered in economic terms.
Before Modi, the choreography of a state visit was predictable: step onto the tarmac, offer a handshake, exchange scripted pleasantries. A hug at that level was almost a breach of decorum. Modi’s arrival on the global stage changed that visual script. His hugs with presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs have not only redefined India’s international image but also sent a subtle message: diplomacy is ultimately about people, and people need connection. Critics once raised eyebrows. Supporters smiled. But over time, the embrace has evolved from novelty to trademark, creating an image of India as warm, approachable, and confident.
The critics have missed the mark. The Modi hug is both personal and political, simple, striking yet strategic. Backed by neuroscience, costing nothing, and boosting India’s image visually, the Modi hug is a positive adjunct to India’s foreign policy, complementing its shrewd manoeuvring and strategic autonomy during a period of marked upheaval and uncertainty.
Rahul Sur is a former IPS officer and a former UN official. He retired at the rank of Inspector General of Police.
