In a message ostensibly directed at the media—but aimed, perhaps, equally at alliance partners and supporting parties—Singh underlined the importance of ‘‘discussion’’ as opposed to ‘‘debate.’’ A discussion, he said, ‘‘ can facilitate a consensus’’ while a debate ‘‘invariably divides opinion.’’

Gently attacking the mock political battles increasingly orchestrated in TV studios, the Prime Minister said, ‘‘Getting rivals to disagree and turning debate into a gladiatorial sport may be entertaining and commercially rewarding. But does it help society move forward? Our democracy may be better off it we can increase the area of agreement rather than sharpen disagreements.’’

And at a time when the Left is raising the pitch against the government’s economic and foreign policies and regional parties reviving dreams of a ‘Third Front’, the Prime Minister—making no mention of either phenomena— chose to focus on the areas of agreement rather than the brewing differences that could cast a shadow over his government.

Pointing out that the democratic process ‘‘forces every extremist political formation to moderate itself and to move to the center to be able to move to the center-stage’’, the Prime Minister, very significantly, chose to cite the DMK and CPI(M) as examples.

‘‘Who could have imagined 50 years ago that a political party in Tamil Nadu created to champion secessionism would one day move to the very heart of our national politics? Who could have imagined 50 years ago that a Communist leader, belonging to a party that pledged itself to overthrow ‘bourgeois democracy’ and establish ‘the dictatorship of the proletariat’ would so proudly and dignifiedly occupy the chair of the Speaker of our Lok Sabha?’’ the Prime Minister asked.

... contd.