Goa, April 12 -- Vivek Menezes

In the absence of pragmatic, balanced perspectives from the state itself, former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon Rao has been outstanding in speaking out for India and Indian interests via social media, where she posted earlier this week about "a tendency, especially in Western and some Indian commentary, to wrap Israel's actions in the language of 'security necessity' until the reality becomes unrecognisable."

Not since the Sino-Indian military debacle in 1962 (when China penetrated deep into Assam until Tezpur, before unilaterally withdrawing) has India seemed so helpless on the world stage, after a series of bad bets and miscalculations by Narendra Modi and his PMO. It is true no one could have predict...