As the political cauldron in Delhi braces for a fresh bout of churning on reservations that threatens to reignite old animosities, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today came out with a fervent advocacy for the ideal of ‘‘consensus’’—but stressing at the same time that ‘‘no democratically elected Government can ignore the interests of the silent majority.’’

Presenting the first Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism to 16 journalists from the print and broadcast media this morning, the Prime Minister told a packed audience that the most important idea sustaining India’s democracy was ‘‘the idea of building a consensus.’’ It was an idea that should inform the media as much as the political class, he indicated. (For key text of his speech, CLICK HERE)

Pointing out that in free societies ‘‘there are bound to be extreme positions taken on many issues,’’ the Prime Minister—who has on many past occasions distanced himself from the ‘‘fundamentalisms’’ of both the Right and the Left—said the ‘‘great majority of people occupy a consensual middle ground.’’

Those who articulate extreme views tend to be vocal and ‘‘their voice is heard more often on television and in newspapers,’’ he said. But, in what seemed a veiled criticism of the manufactured rage against ‘‘Mandal II’’ in sections of the media in recent days, the Prime Minister made it clear that this outburst would not be allowed to hijack the resolve of political parties or the government.

To quote his exact words: ‘‘Mass media may give greater expression to those who are vocal and articulate but it is the electoral process that reflects the will of the silent majority. No democratically elected Government can ignore the interests of the silent majority.’’

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