N Nagarajan
It’s tragic how global politics today has been reduced to loud theatrics. Donald Trump, once the President of the world’s oldest democracy, turned the White House into a circus, mocking the disabled, downplaying white supremacy, and ultimately fuelling the Capitol Hill riots with baseless lies about the 2020 election. And yet, he’s clawed his way back onto the political stage, proving that noise can still drown out truth. Most recently, he displayed his trademark brashness again—using crude, street-style slang in front of the press. One can’t help but recall the dignified legacies of Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Washington, and wonder how far America’s political discourse has fallen.
India isn’t far behind. Without malice or political bias, one must admit that even our own Prime Minister—an undoubtedly tireless politician—has indulged in similar theatrics. After Operation Sindoor, he used a public rally in Kanpur to issue a warning to Pakistan in coarse, colloquial language. While Pakistan certainly deserves a firm and resolute message, a statesman of Modi’s stature need not resort to street-level rhetoric. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident. His speeches often slip into name-calling and emotional baiting—language that may fire up crowds but does little to build a mature democracy.
The ripple effect of such rhetoric is now being seen beyond politics—in corporate India. A recent viral video shows an aggressive female Marketing and Sales head of HDFC Bank (once considered among India’s top workplaces) berating her team for underperformance. In a tone more befitting a drill sergeant than a professional, she yells at her subordinates, publicly humiliating them and demanding that those uninterested in targets resign immediately.
This isn’t leadership—it’s bullying. And it raises serious questions: Is this the communication style we now endorse even in elite corporate circles? HDFC and others must act before toxic talk becomes the new norm.
This is where India’s youth must pay attention. Don’t be swayed by sloganeering or stagecraft. Don’t mistake arrogance for authority, or volume for vision. Today’s leaders—political and corporate—often seek applause, not accountability. But your future demands more. It demands leaders who speak with clarity, not chaos; who answer tough questions instead of dodging them.
Read history. Nehru, Ambedkar, Kalam, Vajpayee—none needed bombast to inspire. They led with vision, not venom. They disagreed without being disagreeable. That is true leadership.
To the youth: guard your minds. Be a firewall against hate-filled or shallow rhetoric. Question everything—especially those who tell you not to. Democracy doesn’t collapse in a day. It erodes slowly, speech by speech, silence by silence. And when truth becomes a casualty, the youth must rise—not to cheer, but to challenge.
The future of communication—across nations and generations—is in your hands, whether you’re Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z, or Alpha. Think hard about the language you accept. Because the words we tolerate today will define the world we live in tomorrow.
