Don't see any rainbows on the horizon ahead: Nirupama Rao

New Delhi, Nov 23 The Sino-Indian border stand-off is set for a long haul as Beijing seems "to have lost the plot" and within China, nationalism and authoritarianism "make for a toxic cocktail" that is steadily raising levels of tension in the region, says Nirupama Rao, a former Indian Foreign Secretary who has served ambassadorial stints in Beijing and Washington.

She also asserts that the Government must bring the Opposition on the same page on its dealings with China and formulate an effective communication policy that articulates a balanced approach, while the media must act responsibly on the issue.

"I certainly do not see any rainbows on the horizon ahead. The Chinese stand on the boundary question has steadily grown more rigid, inflexible and aggressively assertive in recent years," Rao told in an interview on her book "The Fractured Himalaya - India, Tibet, China 1949-1962"