Mr. Tharoor, your fans are with you, as always!

I started crying the moment I saw the “breaking news” flash on Times Now* and Arnab Goswami* announce: “PM Accepts Resignation”. I simply couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. My last straw was lost.

Watching Shashi Tharoor make those humiliating rounds of PM’s and Sonia Gandhi’s residence trying to explain himself was too much for me to take. A person of his eminence did not deserve this kind of an abrupt and absurd exit. At the same time, frankly, I was very angry with him for foolishly landing himself into such a sordid soup.

How could he completely forget the “lessons” learnt on diplomacy in those exemplary three decades rich career as an established international civil servant? How he could act so naïve about matters of functioning of the Indian political system when, being far away, he could so beautifully understand and write about India? Where did the incredibly intelligent author in him hide during those crucial times of critical decisions making in his just started political career? In fact, I felt he needed “mentoring” more than the Kochi IPL team!

I have not been able to sleep since then. Those horrifying television images are playing in my mind all the time. I am depressed and constantly crying internally. Shashi Tharoor is in my thoughts throughout. That, if I – his fan – could be so disturbed then how enormously devastated he must be feeling now?

Well, you would understand my sentiments if you have been a fan yourself of any person on this earth. I became his fan much before he became minister; my admiration for him - Shashi Tharoor, the author - started many years ago when I started reading his books. Well, those were his UN days as well.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share my views on my blog but upon insistence of my Shanghai-based sister, I decided to put them down. Actually, she was equally angry with the unfortunate turn of events against him and asked me to ask the world if it really thought that “Shashi Tharoor was “that” bad a guy? Or, did he become the “fall guy” of his self-created circumstances?”

Therefore, I ask you these questions and urge you to answer them honestly, to yourself: "Is Shashi Tharoor “that” bad a person/politician or did he become a victim of his own silly follies?"

Firstly, let us list down Shashi Tharoor’s “Sins”:

1. He tweeted “cattle class” remark --- a matter of perception-reality conundrum for a public figure; not a crime.

2. He tweeted, again, against his boss’ visa-policy --- avoidable but not a crime.

3. He endorsed Bhikhu Parikh’s views on Jawaharlal Nehru --- well, anybody who has read his “Nehru – Invention of India” would have understood his position that he is in fact a fan of Nehru! Not at all a crime.

4. He called for Saudi Arabia to become an “interlocutor” in Indo-Pak peace talks --- again a case of misinterpretation of the English word. No crime.

5. He got involved into Kochi IPL team formation as a “mentor” and ended up being accused of favouring his close friend - whom he was being talked about marrying soon - with “sweat equity” worth several crores till perpetuity without putting a single rupee into investment --- well, a serious case of political impropriety but certainly not a case of corruption in the real sense of the term.

… But his OSD’s involvement in the team formation amounted to unethical use of his office for furthering personal gains. --- Though not a crime but merited serious considerations for enquiry and actions thereafter, if deemed dubious.

Now, let us put down – in brief – the “Sins” of an average Indian politician, which we have in hordes in the Parliament!

1. Billions stashed in Swiss banks! --- a serious crime – punishable.

2. Involvement in scams worth crores and crores of rupees --- a serious crime – punishable.

3. Accused of murders --- an even more serious crime – punishable.

4. Rapes charges against them --- a serious crime – punishable.

5. Cases of kidnappings filed against them --- a serious crime – punishable.

6. Inciting riots through divisive politics --- a serious crime – punishable.

7. Illegal misuse of public money for personal advancements like self-statue building, bribery, etc. etc. --- a serious crime – punishable.

8. Etc. etc. etc. --- all serious crimes – punishable under Constitution of India.

Well, now that we have done a comparative chart of “Sins” of Shashi Tharoor versus that of an average Indian Politician, therefore, under IPC – Indian Political Code – if Shashi Tharoor should “go”, then the latter should go to gallows!

Also, please tell me if I am wrong in wasting my tears over a “tainted” ex-minister?

No, not at all. I am proud to be Shashi Tharoor’s fan - the person and especially Shashi Tharoor, the author - and promise to be by his side in his good as well as not so good times because I believe in him.

I also have this strong belief that he will bounce back soon after having learnt from his silly mistakes and will shine on the otherwise murky political landscape of Indian politics. Perhaps he was - is - passing through a bad phase in his life when - like it happens with everyone - nothing seems to be going right.

We need to give him time and space – for introspection and gathering himself together. His family and friends and fans are with him. May God be with him in form of wisdom and strength and peace.

All will be well, Mr. Tharoor :)

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* : Media was simply doing its job sincerely. And I hugely respect it for its work.

India-US-Pak Triangle and My Umbrella

I was watching Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the over-the-top Foreign Minister of Pakistan at his theatrical best during the joint press conference with his US counterpart recently that the memories of my childhood’s multi-coloured umbrella came rushing in! I smiled, and soon started laughing! It was such a sweet memory, after all :)

I remember I had just started going to school. My parents gifted me a beautiful multi-coloured umbrella. And I instantly fell in love with it. My attachment became so ardent with that little piece of my initial few possessions that it almost became a part of me, my identity. And, if my mother did not bring that umbrella to the near-by bus stop, rain-or-no-rain, sun-or-no-sun, I would stubbornly refuse to walk back home. My obsession with my umbrella soon spread far and wide!

And my umbrella's story reached the ears of my self-styled competitor – yes, a trait so rare at that tender age! - in our immediate neighbourhood where lived a girl little elder to me. That girl had to have everything – yes, everything – which I had: be it dresses or toys or books or … yes, you guessed it right … an umbrella, too!

That girl created a huge fuss and pressured her parents in to buying almost a same umbrella for her! …

So, now you understand why I remembered my beautiful childhood umbrella watching Shah Mehmood Qureshi at his theatrical best in the US?

Well, while S. M. Qureshi’s attempts were quite hilarious and with his antics he had apparently succeeded in amusing Hillary Clinton – though only superficially - the Pakistani Foreign Minister was desperately trying to appease Madame Secretary for getting America to agree to an India-like civil nuclear deal for Pakistan too.

Now you see the connection between the India-US-Pakistan triangular relationship and my childhood umbrella?

In the not-so-easy geopolitical equations between India-US-Pakistan, Pakistan is that little spoilt girl from my neighbourhood who wanted everything that I had as a child, including an umbrella!

Well, on an adult-like serious note, I am sure that the Obama administration is not so naïve to give in to the obsessive demands of Pakistan, ranging from F-16s to military arsenals to monetary aids to civil nuclear deal; anyway, most of which are likely to be aimed against India in all probability. The US establishment understands all too well that Pakistan is a rogue state and is the epicenter of spread of terrorism in the world today. Howsoever crucial Pakistan’s role the US may deem to be in resolving the ever escalating Afghanistan conflict as an important component of its Af-Pak strategy for the crisis-ridden region, it will not let an almost failed nation get access to nuclear energy technology whose usage – abuse – it cannot guarantee for civil purposes exclusively. It would be akin to giving WMDs in hands of a Demon! Pakistan’s repeated proclaims of not being in control of its non-state actors – terrorists, extremists, fundamentalists – go absolutely against its own arguments to secure a favourable nuclear deal – India-like - from its otherwise old ally, the United States of America.

Therefore, India need not worry at all.

Nevertheless, at the end, I must thank Mr. Qureshi for taking me back on my memory lane and let me cherish in my thoughts my beautiful little multi-coloured umbrella!

(The umbrella is still secured at home – though now tattered and faded – along with few other valuables from my childhood.)

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Watching Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s theatrics also reminded me of an age-old adage about “Politics Being the Theatre of the Absurd”! He for sure was an absurdist personified that afternoon!