“Come on we need some fun, let’s have a debate between the prime minister and Rahul Gandhi!” I suggested. My neighbour looked alarmed. “Live?” he asked.

“Naturally.”

“With questions?”

“Obviously.”

He gripped my arm. “Don’t, please. There are limits to what you can suddenly ask a democracy to do.”

I cannot understand the anxiety. Surely a leader presented as capable of solving international crises can manage a gentleman standing six feet away with a microphone. Unless, of course, the international crises have been considerate enough to submit their questions beforehand and refrain from asking supplementary ones.

That is the beauty of a debate. The opponent refuses to remain the fellow you invented at yesterday’s rally. You say, “He wants to destroy the country!” and the irritating man replies, “Actually, I asked about jobs.” Suddenly, the mighty warrior finds that his favourite punching bag has acquired a mouth.

Rahul is hardly guaranteed a victory. He might wander so far from his argument that the moderator has to send him a location pin. But at least we would discover whether the prime minister can find his way back to a question without travelling through Nehru’s drawing room.

I suggest we remove the teleprompters for the evening. Give them paid leave. They have served the nation tirelessly and deserve one night when somebody else takes responsibility for completing a sentence. Notes can stay. We want a debate, not a memory competition for senior citizens.

The moderator should begin gently. “Sir, what would you say to an unemployed graduate?”

“My dear countrymen…”

“Only the graduate, sir.

The others have heard the opening.” “For seventy years…” “He is twenty four, sir. Kindly restrict the investigation to the period in which he has existed.”

Then ask about pollution. No scenic background, please. Seat both men beside a window overlooking a busy junction. If either promises a bright future, the moderator can request that he first locate the building opposite. Any candidate who blames Nehru must explain why the smoke is still arriving fresh.

But the real examination begins when Rahul interrupts. A rally allows the leader to pause majestically while applause rises. A debate allows the other fellow to say, “You haven’t answered.” Imagine the inconvenience. The camera is running, the question is waiting, and nobody has arranged a flower shower.

Let the audience watch that moment. Does authority become irritation? Does confidence become a complaint against the moderator? Can the man who asks millions to trust his judgment tolerate one citizen questioning it? A grand entrance tells us who controls the lighting. An awkward answer tells us considerably more.

So arrange the chairs. Rahul must bring better arguments than indignation. The prime minister must bring something more useful than a hug. Let both earn their applause. And if the organisers can’t persuade the PM, tell him the event is a Vande Bharat inauguration. Let him unveil the microphones. Then, before anybody can stop proceedings, switch them on and start the debate..!

———————————-

Become an author… Click here

————————————-

Would love to hear from you in the COMMENTS section below…and IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE BOB’S BANTER EVERYDAY, PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME AND WHATSAPP PHONE NO TO [email protected]
————————————————–