One cannot help but observe, with an almost detached academic curiosity, the curious dichotomy in diplomatic methodologies currently emanating from the Indian subcontinent. The tableau is rather telling: on one hand, the erudite Mr. Shashi Tharoor, a parliamentarian whose linguistic dexterity is often, quite justifiably, a subject of admiration (and, dare one say, occasional envy), has embarked upon a well-publicised sojourn to Washington D.C. His stated objective, one presumes, involves engaging with the American establishment, articulating India’s perspectives, and generally reinforcing bilateral ties. Yet, to the seasoned observer of international statecraft, there is an almost palpable aroma of “Bollywood theatrics” accompanying this particular diplomatic ballet – a grand, orchestrated performance designed as much for the cameras and the ensuing headlines as for substantive policy advancement.

The grandiloquence, the carefully curated soundbites, the projection of an India ever ascendant, ever indispensable – these are hallmarks of a particular school of public diplomacy, one that prioritises the spectacle over the specific, the narrative over the nuance. Such missions, often involving substantial entourages and considerable expense, seem calibrated to overwhelm with presence rather than persuade with purpose. One might even venture that the very selection of Washington, the global fulcrum of power and........

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