Where is the Indian political grouping that emphasises growth over equity, seeks equality of opportunity rather than outcome, celebrates the private sector as an engine of economic prosperity, and champions the cause of a strong military?

By delaying retail foreign direct investment, the Indian government has protected the intermediary status quo, and ignored the plight of 500 million desperately poor Indians living on farms who have publicly voiced their support of allowing retail giants to enter the Indian market.

India's big, new foreign policy idea is even worse that its last one. And that's saying something.

How can a country that aspires to be a global power be scared of a big-box store? It's a question worth pondering as New Delhi's long-delayed decision last week to open the retail business to foreign investors unleashes a predictable firestorm of protest.

Most observers agree that the Hazare movement has awakened the traditionally inward-looking Indian middle class to a public cause. Now the newly awakened need to go a step further and start voting, running for office, and backing candidates who embody their values.

What we need to do now is to create more openings for high-skill immigrants while reducing the number of slots for extended family reunification for low-skill immigrants, and Congress (though no the Obama administration) seems to be taking some steps in that direction. The Economist, while not addressing low-skill immigration, seems to be taking a similar view.

With slowing economic growth, a publicly feuding cabinet, and a series of corruption scandals that have paralyzed governance, you might think the last thing India needs is a foreign policy mishap. But there's no other way to characterize New Delhi's full-throated support for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's dangerous grandstanding at the United Nations in pursuit of statehood.

Millions of voters will head to the polls this week for the first phase of what are often called India's second-most important elections -- for a new government in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest state and home to about one in six of its 1.2 billion citizens. In the drama of Indian democracy, UP has always played a starring role.