Troubles of Himalayan proportions
- Devendra Gautam Ages-old. Special. People-to-people. Unparalleled. Unique. Time-tested. Make no mistake, these are not just some flowery words. Rather, they are some of the sacred, power-packed mantras that our foreign policy pundits, diplomats and high officials chant all too often to describe our relations with India. Indeed, these incantations form a very important part -- or perhaps the only important part -- of their job. Over the years, these people have taken this important skill to a whole new level. There may come a time, sooner than later, when high heavens become happy with these sweet-sounding chants and shower the devout band with flowers. Many of them may not have reached the 10,000-hour mark for mastering the skill, but they may still be able to wow Malcolm Gladwell. Anyways, with such passion and dedication, one hardly needs to practice for 10,000 hours to master a skill! But there were times in the life of this nation wh...