The new US ambassador to India Sergio Gor is not in the mould of some of his scholarly predecessors such as John Kenneth Galbraith and Daniel Moynihan. Breaking with diplomatic convention, Gor breezily took charge of the US embassy in Chanakyapuri and met PM Narendra Modi even before he formally presented his credentials to President Draupadi Murmu. Gor, 38, a naturalised American born in Tashkent to Russian parents, has risen rapidly through the Republican MAGA ranks, beginning as a student activist.

He struck a chord with President Donald Trump through his skills at fundraising, organising events and as the informal disc jockey at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Not surprisingly, Gor choreographed every detail of his arrival at the US embassy. He came in a shiny black BMW with flashing red and blue lights. As he walked up the steps to the stage, Hold On, I’m Comin’ played on loudspeakers. The music selection for the ceremony included MAGA favourites such as Ring of Fire and YMCA Gor’s second in command in New Delhi urged staffers to convey the vibe that ‘Elvis has entered the building’.

One suspects that our stuffed-shirt diplomats may have problems adjusting to the new dispensation, while Pakistan, in contrast, has mastered the art of ego massaging. Our foreign........

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