- while testing the relevance of almost every word and phrase of the brief. Both teams acknowledged the role of the state and the civil society in promoting peace but disagreed with how and to what extent could non-state organizations, the media, and individuals, could define the engagement in the presence of an elected government on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).

The debate, which was sponsored by the Vandrevala Foundation and Yes Bank, was moderated by Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, and Lok Sabha member. He acknowledged at the outset that he was under tremendous pressure from many quarters not to appear for the debate in view of the incidents at the LoC. Opening the debate after a one-minute silence for thesoldiers killed at the border, Tharoor said, "Both countries have a mature civil society. We must decide in the favour of the strategic choice for peace."

Each speaker was allotted six minutes followed by two minutes of interjections, after which the panel took on questions from Indians and Pakistanis. The oratory, especially by Aiyar and Wajahat Khan, was sharp, and the interjections by Chaudhury and Raja were witty and pointed - with Aiyar furiously remarking that media's and in particular Times Now anchor Arnab Goswami's ugly jingoism, was affecting state response following the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers, and killing of at least one Pakistani soldier in the past few days. Chaudhury was quick to negate Bedi's passionate plea for the acknowledgement of the role of all