With the Watchwords of Patriotic Public Service: Interview with Dr. Shashi Tharoor (MP of Thiruvananthapuram, India and Former Minister of State)

With the Watchwords of Patriotic Public Service: Interview with Dr. Shashi Tharoor (MP of Thiruvananthapuram, India and Former Minister of State)

 

 

 

1) What does the “Act of Free Choice” entail or mean in relation to contemporary politics and writing/political writing in the 21st Century?

 

"I’m not quite sure I understand what you mean. Are you referring to a chapter heading from one of my books? Otherwise the Act of Free Choice is related to an independence referendum in Indonesia many years ago! But as a more general expression, I would agree that the entire purpose of political activity is for people to be able to determine their own destiny, and that elections, by embodying an act of free choice, are the best practical means to enable them to do so."

 

 

2) How do you see the developments at the recent SAARC Summit held here in Kathmandu?

 

"The frank truth of the matter, I’m afraid, is that we remain wholly unable after all these decades to tap into SAARC’s phenomenal potential. There was at a general level, I observed, a greater willingness among most members nations to move on from past suspicions and look to charting a new, mutually beneficial course. But in terms of concrete efforts, we were left disappointed again. We managed to get through an energy agreement but Pakistan remained sceptical in its approach to all other proposals, even while all remaining member states were on the same page. We have a wealth of mutual experience to share and tap into, but unless we finally realise that each squandered Summit delays us yet again from making the fullest use of our potential, and get over longstanding but increasingly obstructionist grievances, we cannot hope to prosper. I remain optimistic, nonetheless, though, as Prime Minister Modi remarked, ‘Nowhere in the world are collective efforts more urgent than in South Asia; and nowhere else is it more modest.’ It is a pity that we are the least integrated sub-region in the world. SAARC has to acquire that sense of urgency and move on from face-saving statements and banal declarations to substantial and enduring agreements and change for the good of the entire region."

 

 

3) How do you see new directions in writing - that are in tune with 'glocal' realities - take shape in South Asia?

 

"Writing is proliferating in our societies, as I observed in both Nepal and Bangladesh and as I see every day in India. Various kinds of books, spanning the entire gamut of possibilities – from highbrow literary fiction to chick-lit romances and thrillers, and including mythological stories as well as graphic novels – have been published, anchored in local realities and in many cases not seeking an audience beyond the subcontinent. The fact that our readers are willing to sustain such a writing and reading culture is immensely satisfying."

 

 

4) What are your thoughts on present-day Nepal-India relations?

 

"I think we are at a very promising point in our enduring and largely positive relationship. We have longstanding historical, cultural, traditional, religious, and economic links (India is Nepal’s largest trading partner, always eager to do more and more business in the years ahead). We have been bound together in friendship since the days of India’s Independence. And now, with your transition to democracy, with the fascinating debates on your new Constitution, and the fresh direction Nepal is taking, I think we are going to find our two countries coming closer still. Besides material assistance, with our shared cultural background and India’s democratic experience, to me, our prospects appear bright and reassuring, with minor irritants and suspicions easily discarded by means of a shared vision and mutual understanding."

 

 

5) As a renowned politician, what are some of your key policy successes which could inspire younger generations keen to join the political sphere?

 

"Democratic politics is a mixed bag. On the one hand you are in Parliament where you help determine national policy and build consensus on issues of foreign relations, economic vision, and more. I was a proud constituent of a government that gave India its Right to Education Act, the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill, and more. As Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, I have been able to bring about unprecedented investment in the development of my constituency (enabling landmark successes in infrastructure, especially a National Highway bypass that had been stalled for 40 years, pushing for the building of what is going to be one of India’s great ports in the future, and so on) while also helping literally hundreds of individuals every week with issues as diverse as educational assistance or access to government schemes. Politics has no limits, provided you enter the fray with the watchwords of patriotic public service and a wholesome, progressive national vision and outlook."

 

 

6) Please share with us your thoughts on how your novel "RIOT" came about and what is now in store for your literary fans.

 

"Through all my literary career, I have always, no matter where I lived or worked, written, in both fiction and non-fiction, about India, the making of India, its past, and its future. Riot deals with love and hate, with cultural collision (particularly Hindu-Muslim collision, which refuses to lower its head), an East-West confrontation, and, within our society, collision between anglicised elites and rural heartlands. It also deals with history, narratives-- conflicting narratives that confront each other with competing versions of the truth -- and more. The actual riot in the story provides the setting for these themes and ideas. Many of these concerns are also covered in my other books, but Riot seeks to reach readers differently by using the vehicle of fiction. As for new books, my latest work, India Shastra, which deals with contemporary India, is due for release in January. I also intend to return to writing a novel after a long, unwilling sabbatical -- I have far too many discarded drafts and plots in my computer, but in the New Year I am determined to pursue one of them!"

 

______________________