Debates on Indian television news channels usual consist of 14 bobbing heads incoherently shouting at one another – with breaks for Bappi Lahiri or Shreya Ghoshal or even Taimur – so it’s really a Black Swan event when they get an actual subject matter expert.
Recently, India Today’s Rahul Kanwal got a dose of what can happen when the interviewee isn’t a dyed-in-the-wool BJP supporter or opponent while talking to Yuval Harari, the popular science writer.
Asked about India’s response to the coronavirus crisis, Harari said not only did India face an enormous challenge for lack of healthcare facilities, he was the rare expert on TV who admitted that he didn’t know enough about India to comment.
However, the cherry on the cake of his response was when he urged people to react not with hatred btu with solidarity, both with countries and different communities within India.
He added: “I was very worried about some stories i heard that some people are blaming the epidemic on minorities… on Muslim minorities… even saying that it’s a deliberate act of terrorism… this is complete nonsense, is extremely dangerous… we don’t need more hatred, we need solidarity, we need love between people.”
@rahulkanwal asked famous author Yuval Noah Harari @harari_yuval to comment on India’s reaction to the #COVID19 pandemic.
Observe Kanwal’s body language as Harari says India must stop harassing Muslims.
Thank you, Harari. Indeed, the human solidarity is the way-forward. pic.twitter.com/iHjMfe6gdt
— Ovais Sultan Khan (@OvaisSultanKhan) April 14, 2020
For the uninitiated, Harari is a historian, philosopher and best-selling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.
The Israeli-born academician is considered one of the foremost minds alive today and gradually moved on from history to philosophy. In 2019, his discussion with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg made him an internet celebrity.
While Sapiens has sold over 13 million copies, Homo Deus has sold over 7 million. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century also sold 3 million copies.
Harari often lectures around the world and in 2019 he founded an organisation called Sapienship whose mission is to ‘clarify the global conversation, focus attention on the most important challenges and support the quest for solutions’.