There was a time when power announced itself softly. A calm voice. A measured reply. A smile that said, I am not threatened by questions. Those days seem to be slipping quietly out the back door of our Parliament, leaving behind raised voices, clenched jaws, and the unmistakable sound of confidence cracking.
When Amit Shah visibly lost his cool in response to Rahul Gandhi, many in the treasury benches cheered. They called it firmness. They called it strength. Some even called it leadership. I watched it and wondered when anger became a substitute for answers.
Because here is the inconvenient truth.
Power that is secure does not shout.
Think of the truly confident person in a room. He does not interrupt. He does not pound the table. He listens. He smiles. He responds with facts. He knows he does not need volume to prove authority. The insecure one does the opposite. He raises his voice. He waves his arms. He tries to drown the question rather than answer it.
Parliament was meant to be the nation’s thinking room. A place where disagreement sharpened ideas, not tempers. Where ministers were questioned not to insult them, but to keep them accountable. Somewhere along the way, questioning started being treated like an act of sabotage.
What we saw was not just a minister responding to an opponent. What we saw was irritation. A flicker of unease. A sense that the script was being disturbed. And when scripts are disturbed, actors forget their lines and begin to shout.
Supporters may enjoy the spectacle. There is something primal about seeing your leader lash out. It feels like victory. But it is a hollow one. Because anger does not silence doubt.
It amplifies it.
The irony is delicious. The more loudly power reacts, the more it confirms what the questioner wants to show. That there are cracks. That the armour is not as seamless as advertised. That confidence, when repeatedly tested, has begun to fray at the edges.
This is not about one man or one party. It is about a pattern. Across the country, disagreement is being met not with dialogue but with derision. Critics are mocked. Questions are deflected. Institutions are asked to clap, not question.
Governments do not die with a bang. They erode with irritation. With impatience. With leaders who forget that their real strength lies in restraint.
A Home Minister does not need to raise his voice to command respect. His office already does that. When he does raise it, the respect quietly slips away.
If anything, the episode should worry those who cheered the loudest. Because when power begins to sound angry, it is usually because it no longer feels invincible.
Confidence is silent. Authority is calm. Leadership listens.
Noise, on the other hand, is often just fear clearing its throat…!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
