A nation's foreign policy is judged by the result not by the management of domestic media. Conducting diplomatic business requires a sophisticated and nuanced approach, especially with unfriendly or not so friendly nations.
Every move of a government is interpreted in terms of the meaning and significance attributed to it in 'diplomatist'. Not every politician is adept at it, and has to learn it from the personnel of the Foreign Service and other experienced diplomats whose services are available to him. Problems and complications arise when a megalomaniac like Narendra Modi is at the helm harbouring an illusion that he knows all and can handle the government single- handed. He has been running the External Affairs Ministry himself with a dummy and now completely compromised Foreign Minister like Sushma Swaraj. The result is disastrous.
When he invited Nawaz Sharif for his swearing in ceremony, it appeared that he had a plan to improve relation with Pakistan and the invitation to Sharif was to give the message that his belligerent election speeches were for the electioneering only. But the impression was unfounded. Ever since coming to power, his government has been blowing hot and cold, and no one has a clue about our Pakistan policy.
There has been a steep rise in the ceasefire violations on the LOC causing death of several civilians for nothing. Kashmir valley, which had remained relatively peaceful, has suddenly got disturbed with the separatists raising Pak's banner. The India friendly President of Maldives (a tiny nation next door) Mohamad Nasheed was ousted in a coup and now is in jail sentenced to more than a decade with India watching it all in utter helplessness. Sri Lanka had begun embracing China, which had made its presence felt in a big way much to India's helpless concern.
Thanks to the defeat of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last election and coming to power of Maithripala Sirisena, there has been a drastic change with the hostility to India coming to an end. However, this change is not due to Modi's diplomacy but the change of government in that country.
Our relation with Nepal has been good and warm barring occasional hiccups, but thanks to mishandling by Modi government, it is at the lowest ebb.
There is huge hostility to India. Modi's effigies are being burnt and India is being accused of resorting to blockade to compel Nepal to surrender to its wishes by amending its Constitution as suggested by the Government of India.

The issue is not whether the suggested amendments are good or not, but whether the government of India had the right to publicly demand that a sovereign country should amend its Constitution as per its diktat. India should have diplomatically persuaded the government of Nepal to address the concern of the Madhesis instead of trying to publicly dictate a sovereign country how it should frame its Constitution. The publicly suggested amendments were an obnoxious interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country.
It is time Modi was told that diplomacy does not consist in round the year globe-trotting, fawning over the leaders of the developed nations in a bid to mislead the people at home in believing that he is close to them or beating his own drum in and out of season. It may be a sound policy to ask the investors to "make in India' and pursue it at the appropriate level, but the Prime Minister of India moving from one country to another with the refrain of 'Make in India ' makes him look like a beggar, and lowers the stature of India as a proud nation.
Prabhakar Sinha

Hastakshep