There was a time when political debate involved the tedious business of arguments. One would read an article, disagree with it, marshal a few facts, perhaps cite an election result or two, and attempt to persuade the reader that the author had got it wrong. Well, that was a primitive age, and people actually responded to arguments. Today, thankfully, we have evolved. We no longer ask whether an argument is right or wrong. Instead, we ask the far more profound question, "Whose side are you on?!"

The transformation was on full display after Ramachandra Guha's recent critique of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership. Guha, who for years was regarded by many Congress supporters as a sympathetic intellectual voice, committed the unforgivable sin of saying aloud what a large section of the political class has long believed privately, that Rahul Gandhi's record does not inspire confidence in his suitability for the country's highest office. Now, one may agree with Guha or disagree with him. One may argue that Rahul Gandhi has grown politically, that he has improved the Congress's parliamentary performance, or that he remains the best available face of the opposition. And, perhaps, those would all even be legitimate responses. But where is the fun in that? Instead, the discussion immediately shifted to the far more important question of whether Guha had defected to the BJP, been secretly recruited by the RSS, or was somehow engaged in a conspiracy to destroy the Congress from within. The argument itself became irrelevant. The author was put on trial.

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© Mathrubhumi English