How Bibek Debroy was different from his peers

Journalist, author, lawyer, diplomat, and one of India's most irreverent wits, Khushwant Singh wrote a famous syndicated weekly column titled, With malice towards one and all.

- Ajit Ranade

It was half mocking and self-deprecating, but hugely popular for its social commentary. He was a genial Sikh who suffered no fools and did not hesitate to call a spade a spade. He died in 2014 at the age of 99. His column's title comes to mind while writing this tribute to Bibek Debroy, who died on November 1 at the much younger age of 69.

Debroy could be impish in his writing, caustic in his words, withering in his dressing down, but never malicious, much like Khushwant Singh. Used to calling a spade a spade, Debroy sometimes didn't care to soften his words which then would be hurtful to the recipient. As a Sanskrit scholar, surely, he was aware of the aphorism, Satyam bruyat, priyam bruyat, na bruyat satyam apriyam, i.e. speak the truth, speak pleasant (things), but avoid speaking unpleasant truths.

Debroy might have rebutted that while truth can be bitter, it also cures. Was he then speaking unpleasant truths to help sort out the unpleasantness in India's society? Or in our policies? At other times, though, he chose to be silent. This became evident in the past decade when he was strangely silent on some economic issues.

After all, he was the chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister for the past seven years. Surely there would have been plenty of occasions of disagreement? I am told that within the government, dissent is kept strictly internal. How then does one speak truth to power, when you chair a high-profile council? Only behind closed doors, clearly.