The Indian people can legitimately expect that the political class that governs on their behalf will rise above politicking whenever there is an extraordinary national difficulty. That there is now such a difficulty because of the Iran war is obvious. Its depth and gravity are growing as the war enters its fourth week. Now oil and gas production and refining facilities have been targeted, and that is a dangerous omen. The Arabian Peninsula states have not entered the war as yet, but they are indicating that their patience is running out.
There is no indication when the war will end. Its conclusion depends on many imponderable factors. But that the Iran war will have a substantial negative economic and perhaps social impact is clear even now. The political class cannot, therefore, adopt an ostrich-like approach.