Frankly, Shashi Tharoor deserves better!

Frankly, Shashi Tharoor deserves better! I simply couldn't understand the media-created brouhaha. Also, I feel that there was no need for him to exhibit his anger in the press conference. He could have simply given journalists a copy of his brilliant “Nehru: The Invention of India" and had asked them to come back with questions, if any, only post reading the book! (Wonderful platform for advertisement! The sales of the book would have skyrocketed! ... Just joking :) ... I took out his "Nehru" from my almirah last night and re-read the preface and the concluding chapter in order to refresh my memory with the beautiful journey of "Re-invention of India" before writing my opinion here.

It is sad to see Shashi Tharoor get into unnecessary controversies repeatedly and then spend his time and energy in explanations and apologies. The fault is not entirely his. However, he is himself to be blamed a great deal.

Shashi Tharoor should understand that he has an enviable status and people, especially Media, would be ever eager to exploit that for their own benefits. In today's 24x7 news environment and mushrooming news channels, all vying to grab the eyeballs in order to increase/maintain their TRP, a personality like his becomes a favourite fodder! And his tweets have satisfied their appetite regularly! He is their latest and the current TG - Target Group - if I may use the popular corporate parlance! They have got a replacement for their erstwhile favourite TV-friendly personalities like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rakhi Sawant. (I do not mean to demean him by associating his name in the same context as that of Rakhi Sawant's but I am just trying to explain my viewpoint.) … The best thing for him to do would be to maintain a respectable distance from the otherwise highly alluring media as it is a double-edged sword!

Though I found his "cattle class" remark a bit arrogant and also did not agree with his attitude of tweeting his “difference” of opinion on an official matter on a social networking site (the entire world will collapse if everybody started exercising their democratic rights on Twitter or Facebook!), but I wholeheartedly support him on this "Nehru" controversy. I repeat: frankly, Shashi Tharoor deserves better!

Shashi Tharoor is the most suitable person to handle the ministry of external affairs. His 3 decades of rich international diplomacy experience (he should recall his lessons fast in order to survive in the murky political landscape of India!) will come handy to him in redefining India's otherwise archaic foreign policy. He has the capabilities to soon reach to the status of a few able ministers like P. Chidambaram. He just needs to get his perspective right.

I use my blog page to suggest him something at the cost of making him even very angry with me.

The time Mr. Tharoor spends on reading his half a million plus followers' tweets and posting his own, he should utilize the available time to write a book. He is amongst the select few rare Indian authors in English who are worth reading! In fact I strongly believe that if he gave enough time to writing, his books could be in the league of Nobel laureates! There is a purpose in his books (I especially liked India, Nehru, Great Indian Novel and Riot). Rest all authors are a complete waste of time and I feel that their books should be sold with a "money back guarantee"! Shashi Tharoor’s admirers will be really happy to be able to read a "real" book of his (not compilations of newspaper articles as in "Elephant..." or a hasty job in "Shadows...")! ... At the same time I wish him all the success in his political career, as well! Best of Luck!

Hope NOT to see him in news any time soon for any further controversy!

P.S.: Pl ignore my blog if you found it preachy and a running moralistic commentary on complete nonsense.

Post-Bush America: for India

The fact that we are still not living in a Post-American world is evident from the all around frenzy in our country over the not so well developing Indo-US relation since Obama administration took charge of affairs. The fact that the US foreign policy hawks did not deem India suitable enough to be a part of the stability plan in our troubled northern neighborhoods is also causing concern amongst the Indian politicians and the diplomats alike. The fact that the American President tried to involve China in the Indian scheme of things in Kashmir is giving severe ulcers to foreign policy pundits. The fact that President Obama played a marvelous host to our prime minister during his state visit but never for once publicly reprimanded – even as a passing remark – Pakistan for sponsoring terror activities on the Indian soil is solid enough a proof that for the United States of America – under Barack Obama – India still has to cover quite a distance before it can even think of being counted as its “natural ally”.

So, what should India do?

Without delay, India should remove all those ambiguous factors that have kept its foreign policy ailing, and inconsequential, since inception post independence.

India should immediately take stock of its foreign policy framework and rework on it, putting a few brilliant “expert” brains behind it. If India wants to sit on the global high table and get counted in matters pertaining to geopolitics, it will have to sell itself well. And, India has a lot to “sell” to the world: its hard power and its soft power as well!

India’s military prowess – in defending its territorial integrity in spite of repeated assaults by both Pakistan and China - is acknowledged by all. Though it should maintain its non-ambitious status in terms of border expansion, nevertheless, India should assert itself strongly in matters related to regional politics. India truly deserves a leadership position in its immediate neighborhoods, to start with, before embarking on an endeavor with global aspirations.

Talking about its soft power, though things “Indian” are becoming a rage abroad, still a lot needs to be achieved in this domain. India has to put in a lots of “intelligent” efforts in making people world over adopt the “Indian-way-of-life” as a matter of routine, like the “American-way-of-life” dominates the global psyche. India has to get into the consciousness of the world. Then only we can truly claim to have arrived on the world stage.

For India, selling its soft power is much easier today due to world’s willingness to accept and experiment things “Indian”. This change is apparent, and possible, because of India’s growing economic clout. After all, everybody wants to emulate a nation which is economically on a strong foundation. Remember, the “Mighty Dollar”? India’s “Reliable Rupee” could do the trick!

I feel, it is simple to comprehend.

India is an emerging economy and as the fourth largest economy of the world is expected to soon acquire the economic superpower status along side China. Therefore, it is high time India leveraged its economic strength and established itself as a real “emerging” global power. For this, India needs to put its foreign policy in place.

And, soon the world will see a strategic shift in Obama administration’s attitude towards India and will acknowledge our country as US’ “natural ally”. Its otherwise “failing and crumbling” neighborhoods will accept India as its regional leader and sustained peace and prosperity will be brought about in this part of the world and elsewhere as well! I truly believe that a lot can be accomplished globally with coming together of the oldest and the largest democracies of the world!

Sounds achievable? … I think so.

Thus, Indians need not worry about having to live in a Post-Bush America. With the requisite changes in India’s approach towards its international affairs, both India and the world will soon get to enjoy the Obama-Singh era!

(A sincere digression: God forbid, if the world will ever have to live in the Post-American world. ’Cause, all said and done, the democratic America is a much better world leader than the autocratic Russia or China!)

Disclaimer - The above views are the earnest expressions of a foreign policy non-pundit!