Nepal, May 21 -- Until the Norwegian press briefing furore and the Modi-Meloni-Melody spectacle took over, the dominating headline and discourse in India was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unexpected and curious austerity appeal. The PM himself issuing an advisory to the citizens of India to cut back does not just have a significant economic character to it, but also a political and social one. Pervading all levels of the country's polity, this obviously soon became the only issue everyone was conversing and fretting about, debating and even jostling over.

But, of course, till drama on international shores took over. What chance does any issue stand in front of the brutal drama of a foreign journalist taking on the Indian government and ...