Imagine Twitterati as UN secy gen!
Mr Shashi Tharoor has given the world of medicine a new ailment: Keyboard in the mouth.
For a man who set out to be the world's top diplomat, he can be remarkably gauche. The man cannot stop himself the moment he spots a keyboard... or a mike.
For all his years as a diplomat, Mr Twitter really believes that he can tweet as Citizen Tharoor even when he is a highly visible minister in a high profile ministry? Take the latest. Would he have been invited for the seminar with the Brit MP if he were just a miserably-failed candidate for the UN's top job?
Once there, what does he do? He tells tell the world as minister of the Government of India that the foreign policy of Gandhi and Nehru — Father of the Nation and the first Prime Minister, no less — was "more like a moralistic running commentary." And that Mrs Indira Gandhi, liberator of Bangladesh who effectively buried Jinnah's two-nation theory, lacked "strategic thinking."
But what has Mr Twitter been doing? Why, he has been delivering a moralistic running commentary all along!
We present a substantial body of evidence.
When it was found that he was staying at a five-star hotel, Mr Twitter derisively dismissed the ruckus by saying, “I am spending my own money.” This in the middle of sky-high inflation and deep recession. What was this? Government policy?
When the austerity drive came up in a nation struggling to fight recession, Mr Twitter tweeted that he would travel "cattle class" to appeas the "holy cows". Even Sonia Gandhi had travelled "cattle class" then!
When the government began getting down to work, Mr Twitter complained that there were too many files on his desk.
Just when everyone in government was recovering, came the other bolt from the blue. People should pore over files rather than celebrate a holiday on Gandhi Jayanti, he tweeted.
Each time, Mr S.M. Krishna, the equally suave and no less aristrocatic boss, was forced to rap him on the knuckles. That rap has gotten harder and harder. Till Mr Krishna was forced to say it in public. "Yes. I am the boss."
Lesser beings would have got a chop for a lot less. It does seem as if there is someone up there who loves this writer a lot. Just who? And why? Why do we need this person to represent India when he himself is not sure he is representing India, when we don't know what he will tweet next.
Hard to believe but diplomats say Mr Tharoor was quite different when he was at the United Nations. His foot seemed firmly on terra firma... and not in his mouth. But if this was how he was at the world body — and remember, there was no Twitter then — it is no surprise he lost the race for UN secretary-general so badly, and dumped himself on us.
Oh yes. Mr Twitter does not have the time for the attacks on Indians in Australia. Or Pakistan. Or Afghanistan. Or China. Or
just about anything that his brief requires him to handle.
Stunning lack of "strategic thinking," you would think. And yes, a certain Mrs G had pushed the idea that Indians should "Work more, talk less."
Just a passing thought. What do we called a compulsive 'Twitterer'? A Twit?
Latest Comments
The author is too harsh. The Tharoor I read, from Tharoor's books, and the Tharoor I saw on TV is a well-informed, highly knowledgeable, and very intelligent person - who even served well as UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information with the then Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
It is sad that in this article, Tharoor's openness is blamed for his losing seat to Ban-ki-moon. I think its actually bad indian lobbying thats at fault.
I agree that tharoor is a bit too open, and his personal views on twitter could be interpreted as minister's view. I was following his tweets from long b4 he became a Minister. He is new to the dirt in indian politics. Let us not discourage sensible, tech-savy ppl, with global outlook from entering indian politics. In fact, for this very reason - dirty mudslinging that happens in indian politics - that I was telling everyone he is making a mistake contesting as an MP, when he could easily have given UN Gen Secy's candidacy , another shot.
There is no doubt that Shashi Tharoor is a very nice guy. His heart lies in the right place. He may be a bit naive for the dirty Indian politics, that's all. Otherwise he would take no time to fit into Indian politics. The corrupt Congress politicians who are a majority feel threatened when a person with a clean image is among them as they themselves look so black in front of him. So I think Shashi Tharoor should continue his one-man crusade like Gandhiji and continue what he knows is right and stop worrying about all the criticism. The more these corrupt politicians hate him, more famous, more popular he will be with the youth of the country- who are really looking for a change and cleanliness in Indian politics.
Mr Shashi Taroor has once again landed his ministry in an awkward position by choosing to air his views on visa regulation on Twitter. Given the consistency with which he contradicts official positions, he perhaps signals to his boss to involve minister{s} of state in framing policies on crucial issues. Serving at the UN in various capacities, Mr Tharoor was vocal and articulate on many issues. Bogged down in MEA as a MoS, most of whom get to do no more than twiddle their thumbs, Mr Tharoor has taken to Twitter even it means indiscretion and embarrassment to his ministry. However, the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet demands that no decision taken by the Cabinet should be questioned by any Cabinet minister, leave alone a MoS, in public. And Mr Tharoor would know this only too well.
N. Raja's writing appears to be "holier than thou." It is sad. On the one hand, India wants to earn dollars & euros as foreign exchange in large sums & continue to insinuate the worldwide social media tools available for communication. Will N. Raja give up his cell phone with a camera, his digital camera & other advanced technology neccessities of life he possesses? I am sure his answer would be NO. For those of you who are defending Nehru & Indira Gandhi, the following should be remembered.
1) Nehru was responsible for the events that led to India's Partition with Pakistan, as well as the "epic journey of Jinnah from being the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, the liberal constitutionalist and Indian nationalist to the Quaid-e-Azam of Pakistan." Furthermore, Nehru and the Congress party assented to, Jinnah. Nehru and the Congress conceded Pakistan to Jinnah, with the British acting as an ever helpful midwife.
2) Nehru thought he is building a stable relationship with China, when he met Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai & India China Bhai-Bhai, except the Chinese started stabbing Nehru. Nehru's naive friendship diplomacy with China resulted in the invasion & subsequent take over of Tibet by China & some millions of square miles of Indian Territory in the North East.
3)Nehru was responsible for the 1949 Delhi Pact with Pakistani Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan.
4) Lastly noted Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, a nationalist political leader of India, and is considered the godfather of modern Hindutva and Hindu Nationalism & a former Nehru Cabinet Minister, died in custody under mysterious circumstances & Nehru did not do anything.
Nehru is responsible for the mess India is in. His daughter Indira, though personally not corrupt, institutionalized corruption at all levels of central & state government administrations. If it was not for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Hyderabad would have been part of the Nizam Empire & Goa a Portugese colony. Vallabhbhai Patel listened to Mahatma Gandhi & agreed for Nehru to become India's PM, which India & Indians are paying dearly with 877 million Indians living below the poverty level.
When a country disrespects its founding fathers like Nehru, it only deserves bad leaders. That's what India now has and it should not be surprising. It is your Karma - you reap what you sow. India will never get leaders like those of China or Japan or US. None of those countries demean their founding fathers like India does Nehru. Nehru was smeared to the extremes, being called bourgeoisie to marxist to traitor, a push-over/meek/coward/spineless to a bully/aggressor/murderer to giving India's UNSC seat to China, from Muslim stooge to British stooge to Hindu fanatic, from a dreamer to no-vision, from no-foreign-policy to only-foreign-policy, from moralistic commentary to corrupting morals, and from exaggerating India's importance to present Indians as beggars. These lies were spread one person at a time and has to be reversed one person at a time. I thank DesiGalliBabu for taking a stand. I urge rest of you join - for the sake of your country!
So, why are you shying away from telling what Pandit Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi did to the nation? Why were they awarded Bharat Ratna then? Do you know what it means to travel on a ship in 20s to get education and come back to the homeland? When Nehru did some missteps what was everybody else doing? Nehru policy is correct. Had he not started the Chini bhai bhai, China would have attacked and plundered our country. US was anti-India at that time. Even US was thinking to attack India at one point. Russia was willing to help but it was not easy. Nehru and Indira built Russian friendship with us. India would have become another Iraq like war zone at that time. Because of Nehru and Indira we got some respect and it was saved. What do you think? Without a statesman like Nehru you would have survived nations like China, Pakistan at that time? Forget about Goa. Your own house would have been in a colony. China, US and Pakistan would have occupied it. What is happening when Australia is treating Indians like dogs these days. You can do nothing. What is the value of India in present day world? Be grateful for what you are today. Dont lament on old leaders. Be grateful that you are able to eat and celebrate republic day. You could've been sitting in that Chinese colony and doing a gurkha job otherwise.
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