India's 'soft power' - the power of ideas, spiritual values, literature, music, cinema, arts, in short, the power of culture and civilisation - has had a disruptive influence on the course and content of its relations with China. Indeed, this is true about India's relations with all of Asia.
The question now troubling the nation is: is some of this bias also beginning to infect the Indian Army? This worry has arisen because of the unprecedented and shocking statements by General Bipin Rawat, its serving chief.
"Opinions are free, but facts are sacred." All practitioners of journalism are required to follow this Idharma of their profession. But what happens when the Prime Minister of a nation takes liberal liberties with facts? That too in parliament, where speaking truthfully is a constitutional obligation even for ordinary members?
Trump's tweet is so unprecedentedly undiplomatic, indeed downright demeaning, that the least Islamabad must do is ask the American ambassador to go back home and drastically reduce the level of diplomatic ties with Washington.
It is clearly time for India and Pakistan to resume the stalled bilateral dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir. In doing so, both countries should learn a lesson from history.
It does not behove a prime minister, who has taken an oath to uphold the highest principles and ideals of the Indian constitution, to utter falsehoods and twist his political opponents' remarks to convey an impression that they are anti-nationals, traitors, and stooges of the "enemy" nation Pakistan.
"Go-karting is what's going on between India and China." This is how a retired senior Indian diplomat, in a recent conversation with me, described the current play of India-China relations. The description - two go-karts trying to hit each other as they race along the track - is vivid, apt and, well, very scary.
Obviously, there was a change - not big but nevertheless a small and significant change - in Modi's China policy in between the two summits. What was it, and what was it due to?
Prime Minister Modi would do well to heed these words and join the Belt and Road Initiative. Joining BRI does not mean declaring that India has no more differences with China. But it does mean India and China have embarked on a road that will reduce their differences and promise a better future for both.
