The isolation risk

Govt's recent decisions have affected India's international standing

It is a truism of international relations that rising powers, such as India, should seek out friends and allies on their periphery and maintain relations further afield that are of long-term benefit to their economic rise. Naturally, maintaining internal solidarity is also of importance — and internal politics should, by and large, not be allowed to spill out into foreign policy stances and actions that do not benefit the national interest viewed most broadly. Unfortunately, India does not seem to be following this precept of late as carefully as it should.
 
For example, amid the widespread protests over the