India, Aug. 2 -- The controversy over a protester's abusive remarks eclipsed the issue that brought hundreds to the streets. That shift in focus deserves closer scrutiny than the words themselves.

Can a protester's profane language become a national emergency? The country today seems to be grappling with precisely that question. All thanks to one self-proclaimed teenager, her unparliamentary language at a student protest, the Prime Minister's seemingly indulgent admonition, and an apology video that surfaced within hours of his appeal to the nation to "guide the misguided youth".

It took six days to turn one protester's profane language into a national story about the Prime Minister's dignity, but almost no time at all to forget the pro...