The Indian Express shows the way.

As they discuss the growing convergence of their national interests, the Prime Minister and the King are expected to lay the foundations for long-term security cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. The elements of such cooperation—tackling transnational crime, exchange of terrorism-related intelligence, promoting mutual energy security, and initiating defence contacts—came up during the National Security Adviser M K Narayanan’s preparatory trip to the Saudi Kingdom last week.

Raja Mohan’s edit is another pointer that the climate of political discourse–in the media specifically–hasn’t really changed since Nehru’s times. It remains mired in spurious secularism. There’s really no “growing convergence” of any interest between India and Saudi Arabia except oil. Saudi Arabia on the other hand has plenty of “interests” in India. The latest display of this interest is the cowardly murder committed at IISc, Bangalore. The LeT suspect’s interrogation revealed that he underwent some education in the terrorist outfit’s branch in Saudi Arabia.

Sources told The Indian Express that Rehman’s narco testimony needs to be cross-checked and has discrepancies on “various occasions” but he has claimed, for the first time, that he met the Lashkar top brass, while in Saudi Arabia. This includes Abdul Rehman Makki, Abdul Aziz and Abu Hamza. He also claims to have worked for the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Raja Mohan then lists the agenda of the proposed meeting. One shudders to even read it.

…tackling transnational crime, exchange of terrorism-related intelligence, promoting mutual energy security, and initiating defence contacts

(Indian Express)
One comment: why beat around the bush–India might as well initiate diplomatic relations with Osama. Worse follows from Raja Mohan’s pen.

India’s official discourse on terrorism has hitherto tended to paint the Kingdom in shades of black and ignore the reality that the House of Saud is also the biggest victim of extremism and violence. Finding a common ground with King Abdullah on combating terrorism—in all its dimensions from narco-financing to the ideological sources—is at the top of Manmohan Singh’s agenda.

Also the biggest victim? I leave it to your intelligence, dear reader, to decide–I’m dumbfounded. Assuming the biggest-victim claim to be true, I have no sympathy for Saudi Arabia because you indeed reap what you sow. Saudi Arabia’s record as a terror-sponsor needs no repetition. In sweeping its horrific record under the carpet in one stroke, Raja Mohan has achieved two things:

a) He has donned the mantle of the New Terror-apologist. (Aside: I’ve followed this writer’s articles for more than a year and found him reasonable but very very politically-correct. He has just scaled a new, unexpected height, which puts him in the league of a Kuldip Nayar.)
b) He has echoed the Indian Express’ credentials as a pro-establishment paper given occasionally to making the right noises.

Raja Mohan further perpetrates the only reason India continues to cozy up to Saudi Arabia: to appease its precious–now precarious–Muslim vote bank. This is another exercise exercise in back bending. And how!

As he watches the Republic Day parade, King Abdullah will be confronted with a political paradox. The reality of India’s immense defence capabilities and the absence of any military contacts.

The words sound almost poetic but their intent is sinister. If Raja Mohan had written this as yet another run-of-the-mill analysis of a political manoeuvre I would merely let it pass by. But composing a litany to a terrorist sponsor is unforgivable.

We live in queer times: on the one hand, a dictator is invited by a peace-loving (read: cowardly) nation to be the chief guest on one of its landmark occasions, and on the exact opposite, we have people who bawl at the news that Bush plans to visit India.

As I conclude, I have a question: which is the greater crime: inviting King Abdullah as chief guest on Republic Day or writing op-eds condoning the crime?