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The Wire
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Wire
India Did Go to the G7, But It is Still Alarmingly Isolated in the World
Now that the G7 summit is done and dusted, we may try to assess whether it has helped India break its disastrous isolation that Operation Sindoor revealed. , prime minister Narendra Modi did get a last-minute invitation to join the G7, but not as a participant – only as an observer. There was jubilation among his lesser-informed fans, fanned also by his multi-million rupee IT cells and the enthralled majority in Indian media. The narrative was that he is too important not to be invited and that India is not isolated, or never was. It is, was and continues to remain the Vishwaguru. Facts, unfortunately, speak otherwise and the drift is just too stark, even for jaundiced eyes to miss. History will surely contrast India's current isolation with the post-colonial decades (1940s to 1960s), when Jawaharlal Nehru and India strode like a colossus among the newly liberated nations. Her draconian Emergency notwithstanding, Indira Gandhi will never be forgotten for giving India its finest hour in 1971 by dismembering Pakistan and forcing 93,000 troops to surrender in Dhaka. These are the stuff of legends – however much we dispute, denigrate or deny. The present 'hyphenation' of India with Pakistan, an almost failed state, is a deliberate insult inflicted on Modi's India to cut to a realistic size and to taunt a drum-beaten narrative that we are almost a superpower. True, India's self respect was salvaged when PM Modi was invited by the new Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney – of Harvard and Oxford, former Governor of the Bank of Canada and then of England, overrode objections from cantankerous Sikh separatists. But to what effect? America, the very fulcrum of G7, disappeared from the scene after Trump gave just a sneering glance and left – to avoid the overtures of the European heads, keen to catch his ear, to drill some sense. Not only could Modi not hug his dear Donald for photo ops, but he had to gulp the ignominy of watching the big man wine and dine his bête noire, the dreadful de facto ruler of Pakistan, Field Marshal Asim Munir. This lunch may have been offered to distance him from Iran, but now that the wily soldier has declared publicly that Trump must get the Nobel Prize for peace, the blonde man is just swooning. All of Modi's efforts to woo him with delirious Indian crowds screaming ' Abki baar, ' at Houston's 'Howdy, Modi' bash has gone down the drain. The bells have been clanging quite cacophonously for India – when, after hyphenating and equating Pak with India, the west-dominated the UN Security Council went a step forward to torpedo India's righteous indignation at Pakistan sponsored terrorism that killed 26 innocents at Pahalgam. India's screams notwithstanding, the UN Security Council declared Munir's Pakistan to be the vice chair of the committee to combat terrorism. "Friend" Russia looked on, with a smirk, as India's recent track record of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds backfired. It hurts all of us and more tragic is the fact that even after two full months, India could neither produce evidence before the international community. Nor could it enforce 'accountability at the highest levels' for the "intelligence failure" at Pahalgam that India's former Army chief, General Shankar Roychowdhury, had openly declared and . The UN Security Council also appointed Pakistan as chair of the Taliban sanctions committee. This is not only ironic, but a repayment with compound interest. In fact, Human Rights Watch, an international organisation that 'new' India reviles for its constant criticism of India's track record over the last 11 years, had boldly recorded Pakistani involvement with the Taliban, long ago. It said: 'Pakistan's army and intelligence services, principally the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), contribute to making the Taliban a highly effective military force'. But, since then, much water has flowed down the Indus, on which India has no tap, despite our current bluster to stop water. We chose not to hear these bells and blame it all on the Trump family's commercial interest in World Liberty Financial's new deal with Pakistan – to make it 'the crypto capital of South Asia" and a "global leader in the digital finance revolution." Back to our theme that India is completely isolated, especially after Operation Sindoor, we sifted through every phrase uttered at the pined-for G7 summit but could find not a word of support for India's justified war on terror. Even the Pahalgam attack was taken up by G7 only after India launched its operation against Pakistan. On the third day of the furious battle of aircrafts, missiles and drones (with no boots on the ground), the G7 did wake to 'strongly condemn the egregious terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22' without pointing fingers. But G7's chief focus was to 'urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan' (note how both are equated) and to 'call for immediate de-escalation and …engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome.' This is when the calculated blunderbuss Trump walked in to claim he pulled apart the two fighting children. To drive home USA's infatuation with Pakistan, the US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla said that America appreciates Munir's cooperation against the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS‑KP). At the G7 Summit, nations waited for Trump to ramp up pressure on Russia and the Group was ready to lower the price cap on Russian oil from $ 60 to $ 45 dollars per barrel. This would drastically decrease Russia's oil revenues that financed its war in Ukraine. Not only did Trump veto the proposal (rewarding Putin) but he expressed his undisguised annoyance at G7 for dropping Russia from the original G8. Those Indian GDP enthusiasts who swear that high GDP means world power may note that Russia figures nowhere in the list of top 10 GDP countries. These consist of the G7 ones and China, India and Brazil. So, India's fourth GDP rank counts for so little in the Game of Thrones. Salt on wounds do not seem to stop as Trump is even reported to have suggested inclusion of China into a new G9. Wasn't he at Xi Jinping's throat – until the latter kicked his anatomy where it hurts the most? India's foreign office must surely have noted Trump's penchant for kissing those who behave the worst. Remember how passionately he had wooed the terribly unreliable Kim Jongun of North Korea? But not even mentioning India to expand it to G 10 is a diabolical outrage, meant to wake us up to play rugger the way he does. Incidentally, this G7 summit was among the rarest – from which no joint communique could be issued – so fragmented are the big boys. It is time for India to assiduously befriend just two of the European four and try to strengthen positive relations with Japan to the next level. If China and Türkiye can stand rock-like behind Pakistan, India can not be so hopelessly isolated that not one major country comes out boldly, as an all-weather friend. Well, PM Modi did get a day's rest in Canada when the leaders of G7 huddled together, without the other 'invitees'. He figured not in the actual G7 photo, but in that of the extended group – standing somewhere on the second row, looking lost as others were busy networking. It goes, however, to a dignified, erudite Canadian PM's credit that he kept the few handful of Sikh agitators at bay and took positive steps to normalise relations with India. And, surely, PM Modi must have held bilateral talks with most – and one sincerely hopes that they begin to matter. After all, his visit to a record total of 74 countries so far could not persuade even one country– even Guyana or Fiji or Papua New Guinea would do, to begin with – to come out and say that they condemn Pakistan's terrorists and support India's retaliation. Also read: Rousing Rhetoric for Diaspora, Tourist Spot Visits, Courting Domestic Voter Base: What MPs Did Abroad The hyper-publicised seven 'all party' delegations are back home after visiting 32 countries. My former colleagues in parliament must all be tired. But the 31 political leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) must now be happy that Modi has finally cast his benevolent gaze at them – after excluding most, for years together, from either importance or power. The 20 politicians from 'other parties' are also grateful for this unique world tour and one of them weaponised it against the detractors in his party. Fine, but it is doubtful if even one of the 32 countries visited would stand up for India. But politics is politics and neither performance nor results matter – something else does. That's why I left it. We have taken the PM and his prickly, ultra-pontificating foreign minister to task in the earlier piece for landing us in such a friendless world. But we also have to admit that there is surely a strong malicious tinge in this west's disaffirmation of India's indisputable economic elevation. India's manufactured superpower narrative is also hot air, because economic growth is only one factor. History shows that no nation has ever been conferred a place on the high table without facing initial scorn, condescension and trial by fire. England, for instance, was just pooh-poohed as a nation of shopkeepers until Poseidon (or Varun) intervened with unruly storms in 1588, for Francis Drake to defeat the invincible Spanish Armada. But, England continued to face ridicule from the continental powers that dominated land warfare and its conquests in India and elsewhere attributed to a cocktail of fluke and bribery. It was only after Wellington managed to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, with dollops of timely assistance from Field Marshal Blucher and his merciless Prussian cavalry that England mattered. If we look intently at each one of the other nations of G7, we will understand how much blood and gore they have gone through in the past centuries. In fact, the dropped-out eighth nation, Russia, alone has witnessed more death and devastation than any other country. What is more relevant is that the entire population of these nations was involved and every village lost her sons. There was, therefore, no time for pampered citizens to indulge in warmongering from air-conditioned homes. Those mercenary TV anchors who won imaginary victories in Pakistan (and their counterparts there) have brought shame to the profession and are now a laughing stock among informed global citizens. India's isolation is a current reality and while we break out of it with all we have in us, we must also realise that 'demeaning an upstart' is left-handed recognition. The rest of the nation's journey up is long, perilous and, hopefully, less violent. Jawhar Sircar is a former Rajya Sabha MP of the Trinamool Congress. He was earlier Secretary, Government of India, and CEO of Prasar Bharati.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress rips into PM Modi's ‘Huglomacy' after Trump's G7 exit, questions silence on Pak outreach
The Congress has seized on US President Donald Trump's decision to leave the G7 summit in Canada a day early, calling the move a 'setback for self‑styled Vishwaguru's Huglomacy' and ridiculing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trademark embrace of foreign leaders. In a post on X, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote, 'President Trump has left the G7 Summit a day before the G7 outreach with eight other countries that includes India begins. A setback for self‑styled Vishwaguru's Huglomacy,' sharpening the party's long‑running jibe at PM Modi's 'hug diplomacy.' So now it can no longer be denied by the drumbeaters of the PM and the BJP's troll army. The man whose incendiary, inflammatory, and provocative remarks were directly linked to the Pahalgam terror attacks is now officially in Washington DC. The question we had asked earlier… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 17, 2025 President Trump has left the G7 Summit a day before the G7 outreach with eight other countries that includes India begins. A setback for self-styled Vishwaguru's Huglomacy. — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 17, 2025 Trump's early departure coincides with heightened tensions in the Middle East. While urging fellow G7 leaders to evacuate Tehran immediately, he asserted that Iran 'can never have a nuclear weapon' and called for 'de‑escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.' He later told reporters the Israel‑Iran ceasefire was not the reason for cutting short his visit, hinting at a 'much bigger' initiative yet to be disclosed. The Opposition also targeted the Modi government over Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir's ongoing trip to Washington. In a follow‑up post, Ramesh declared: 'So now it can no longer be denied by the drumbeaters of the PM and the BJP's troll army. The man whose incendiary, inflammatory, and provocative remarks were directly linked to the Pahalgam terror attacks is now officially in Washington DC.' He pressed further: 'The question we had asked earlier needs to be repeated: what is America up to by hosting Asim Munir in this manner? Why are the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister silent on this outrageous American outreach to Pakistan?' Senior US military officials have argued for retaining ties with both India and Pakistan, citing Islamabad's role in countering Islamic State–Khorasan Province. During a recent visit by an Indian delegation to Washington, US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla highlighted Gen Munir's cooperation against IS‑KP. The Congress has repeatedly slammed the government for allowing Trump to claim he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan last month after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 escalated military tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The government has repeatedly asserted that the matter was resolved bilaterally.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Piyush Goyal's chopper in Andhra Pradesh develops technical snag
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who is in Andhra Pradesh, on Monday cancelled his visit to the state's Krishnapatnam port after the helicopter he was to fly in developed a technical snag. The technical snag was detected after the minister had boarded the helicopter in this temple town. The Central minister, who had earlier offered prayers at Tirumala temple, was to visit the Krishnapatnam port. Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta has taken a serious view of the technical problem in the helicopter used by the Chief Minister and other VIPs. He has sought a report from the officials concerned. Goyal, who arrived in Amaravati on Sunday on a two-day visit to the state, reached Tirupati after a meeting with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Union Minister, along with his family members, offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara temple atop Tirumala on Monday morning. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Chairman B.R. Naidu extended a warm welcome to the Union Minister and made special arrangements for darshan. Following the darshan, Vedic scholars performed Veda Ashirvachanam, imparting sacred blessings upon Goyal at the Ranganayakula Mandapam. "I offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara, seeking blessings for the nation's progress and societal well-being. I prayed for the success of the Central government's initiatives towards a Viksit Bharat and for India to emerge as a Vishwaguru," Goyal said after the ceremonies. Andhra Pradesh Ministers Anagani Satya Prasad and T.G. Bharat accompanied the Union Minister. Goyal on Sunday had a meeting with Chief Minister Naidu. The two leaders discussed various issues faced by tobacco and aquaculture farmers in the state. Naidu urged the Centre to provide Rs 150 crore for tobacco procurement, reduction of import duty on crude palm oil, and to hold talks with the US authorities to reduce the 27 per cent tariff on aqua products.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The university versus constitutionally protected speech
'Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties,' said John Milton in his famous pamphlet, Areopagitica (1644), opposing the licensing system (called imprimatur). Originally introduced in response to the introduction of the printing press in England in 1538 and reinstituted by the British Parliament in 1643, authors had to obtain permission or licence from the government prior to their publications. In India, several High Courts and even the Supreme Court of India are hearing petitions on the limits of freedom of expression. Should we really go back to that dated system where prior permission of the government or university is required to express one's views? Are university teachers mere robots who should write only research papers and not express their opinions on contemporary issues? Do we no longer consider free speech to be an integral part of human dignity and an individual's self-fulfilment? Is truth no more autonomous and the highest public good? Are not excessive restrictions on free speech based on the assumption of infallibility of the state or its stated positions? These are some of the pertinent issues that India must resolve because its position on these fundamental issues is bound to strengthen or weaken its ethical claim of being a true Vishwaguru. India's low rank of 151 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index does not enhance its stature in the comity of nations. No doubt, 'nation first' should be the rule of thumb for all of us because no debate can survive if the nation itself perishes. We must be united in our fight against an enemy that has time and again been sponsoring and exporting terror to our country. A prompt and befitting response during Operation Sindoor has been given to the enemy nation. The labelling of opinion as activism We must now return to the realm of constitutional vision as we need to win the battle of ideas as well. Of course, every writer has the duty to make a disclaimer that his views are personal and do not represent the views of the institution he serves. But then a mere expression of views cannot be termed by the corporate owners of the universities or vice-chancellors as 'activism'. An expression of opinion may be dissent but not necessarily activism. Public academic institutions do not mind even activism and active politics. A professor became the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (1991-93). Certainly, no writer should expect any institutional support for his personal views. No court should ideally shy away from its duty of safeguarding constitutionally 'protected speech'. It must remain consistent with its own past pro-freedom of speech judgments. The U.S. Supreme Court, in Texas vs Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), had even considered burning of the national flag as a protected expression. India need not go that far. John Stuart Mill, in his celebrated essay on liberty, said that ''If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind'. British jurist William Blackstone in 1769 considered a free press was essential for a free state. Though the 1787 U.S. Constitution did not include freedom of the press as a right (because Roger Sherman had said in the Constitution Convention that adopted the U.S. Constitution, that there was no need to mention freedom of press as the powers of the Congress would not extend to press yet within four years), the First Amendment in 1791 on freedom of press made a categorical and explicit declaration that the 'Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press....' Democracy is government by choice and people cannot exercise their choices if they are not told about all the available alternatives. Let alternative views be expressed and protected. Moreover, freedom of speech assures individual self-fulfilment. If a citizen is not allowed to express his emotions, his opinions, his frustration, and his happiness he will not feel self-fulfilled. University owners must understand that such suffocated individuals cannot produce scholarly research as knowledge cannot be created in a controlled environment. We produced greats such as Aryabhata, Chanakya, Gargi Vachaknavi and Charaka because the education in our ancient gurukuls was not controlled by the state. Within the portals of universities, all kinds of ideas, which include repulsive ones, must be expressed. Today, our universities are over regulated and grossly underfunded. Expression and the truth Freedom of expression helps us in attaining the truth. It was Milton who said, 'Though all winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength. Let her and falsehood grapple, who ever knew truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter'. In an age of fake news, let everyone speak so that people can decide for themselves who is speaking the truth. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. of the United States rightly observed that in a capitalist market place, the 'best test of truth is the power of thought to get itself accepted in the competition of market'. Thus, an expression of all views would basically serve the government's cause in fencing off people from what is false. This is nobody's case that freedom of speech is an absolute right. Indeed, no one should indulge in unnecessary talk. The exercise of right must be aimed to serve the constitutional objects of free speech, i.e., the search for truth and helping people in forming opinions about governmental actions and thereby ensuring sovereign people's participation in the governance. The extent of restrictions The Constitution permits only 'reasonable restrictions' on the freedom of speech and expression. The all-important word 'reasonable' was inserted by the first constitutional Amendment in 1951. These restrictions can be in the interests of sovereignty and the integrity of India, security of state, public order, decency, morality, friendly relations with foreign countries, and defamation or incitement of an offence. 'Public order and friendly relations with foreign states' too were inserted in 1951. Interestingly, restrictions in the interests of 'sovereignty and integrity' were inserted by the Constitution (Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963. No restriction on freedom of speech can be imposed even by the government through an executive order. Restriction on free speech requires legislation. To satisfy the test of 'reasonableness', courts invoke the 'doctrine of proportionality'. In Anuradha Bhasin vs Union Of India (2020), the Supreme Court not only held the right to Internet as a part of free speech but also reiterated that the restrictions on free speech can be imposed after considering alternative measures. It added that such restrictions must be legitimate, necessary and least intrusive. It is the state which has the burden of proof in establishing that the restriction is proportionate, and thus reasonable. No institution has any right to restrict anybody's freedom of speech on any ground other than the ones mentioned in Article 19(2). Thus, restrictions cannot be imposed by any institution just because it is a private educational institution or because it is bound by the regulatory control of regulatory bodies. These are lame excuses that do not have a leg to stand on. The Supreme Court, in Dr. Janet Jeyapaul vs S.R.M. University and Anr. (2015), had held private universities as 'state' because they too discharge 'public functions' and thus, any arbitrary dictate by them would be hit by Article 14, i.e., the right to equality which includes the right against arbitrariness. Returning to the issue of an author/writer facing the consequences, the law is crystal clear — if his speech is not protected by the Constitution, no one can or should defend him. But when the speech is well within constitutional limits, ideally, the institution should not disown him as it would not only demotivate the faculty but also result in a situation where such an institution would not be able to attract outstanding scholars. A student is the real conscience keeper of a university. Private educational entrepreneurs must know that the Supreme Court has had the consistent view that education is an occupation and not a business. Let us celebrate a diversity of opinions as in a vibrant democracy, every opinion counts and the university truly signifies a universe of knowledge. Faizan Mustafa is a constitutional law expert and Vice-Chancellor of Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Bihar. The views expressed are personal
The Print
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
What if Congress loses Tharoor? Rahul Gandhi is preparing for a re-do of Punjab in Kerala
The minister could have requested the Congress leadership to specifically nominate those four delegates if the government was so eager to have them onboard. Instead, Rijiju waited for Kharge and Gandhi to send their nominees. The government then announced its own choice of Congress nominees. The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership obviously expected Congress to not nominate Tharoor, Tewari and the other two. The Congress fell into the trap. The principal Opposition has now been left red-faced. The internal rift in the party is out in the open. But before we discuss further about how the Congress high command messed it up, let's be clear about the government playing the Opposition for political ends. Yes, for sure. What's the point of parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju calling up Leaders of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, if the government had already decided on Congress delegates and the minister had even spoken to four of them – Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Salman Khurshid, and Amar Singh? It's a travesty of the 'all-party' nomenclature if the parties have no say in nominating their MPs. One can't argue with the government's spin masters on the fact that Tharoor, as the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, and as someone who worked at the United Nations for nearly three decades, was eminently suited to lead a delegation to the United States and other countries. In 2019, he had refused to be a mere member of this parliamentary panel because he had headed it in the previous Lok Sabha. The Modi government didn't want him to head that committee again. The nature of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, however, forced the government to accept him as the external affairs committee chairman again. So, what do you think suddenly endeared Shashi Tharoor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had once referred to the former's wife as '50 crore-rupee girlfriend'? Let's accept it. It's all politics. It's coming at a time when the principal Opposition party is seeking to puncture PM Modi's Vishwaguru slogan. On 18 May, Karnataka Congress posted on X: 'Over 11 years, 72 countries, and 129 visits, crores of taxpayers' money have been spent. The net outcome is zero. None of the countries supported #OperationSindoor #BJPFailsIndia.' Although it didn't name PM Modi, its list of all these visits left little for imagination. PM Modi has visited the US 9 times since 2014, UAE, France, Japan, and Russia five times each, as per the Karnataka Congress' list. Other Congress handles and leaders have been posting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Abki baar, Trump sarkar' slogan of 2020, when the latter was seeking a re-election. With Trump making daily claims that embarrass India, the five-year-old slogan has come back to haunt the Modi government. The Congress is seeking to damage the Vishwaguru claims, asking why India abstained instead of voting against the bailout package for Pakistan at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board meeting. That India couldn't convince any other country to vote against this package for Pakistan has given the Opposition another handle to beat the BJP government with. The Opposition obviously senses an opportunity to bring down Modi's Vishwaguru image, a big electoral pull for the BJP. The government has played it well. The optics of all-party delegations comprising 45 MPs and six senior leaders who will visit 33 world capitals are expected to dent the Opposition's onslaught on that count. There are 19 Opposition leaders in these delegations – most of them known to be very vocal and articulate. Come to think of it. Tharoor, Tewari and three other Congress leaders would be defending India's war against terror and the government's stance abroad while their party is attacking the government at home for its alleged failure to get international support. So, if and when there is a debate in Parliament, the Opposition parties would feel compelled to not field any of their MPs on these delegations. BJP's political game Modi government played Congress in selecting the all-party delegations. Alright, but isn't it par for the course in politics? Why did the Congress get played? People like Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari are known to speak their minds, especially when it comes to national security. They don't get safe seats to contest from—the way the Gandhis got minority-dominated Wayanad. Manish Tewari contested three Lok Sabha elections from three different constituencies and won each time. Tharoor contested in 2009 for the first time from Thiruvananthapuram, where the Communist Party of India (CPI) had won twice previously. He has retained the seat since then. These leaders, who have to sweat it out in the constituency every day, have to be mindful of the public sentiments and respond accordingly. So, while the BJP played politics in its selections for the all-party delegations, the principal Opposition was naive enough to get played. Tharoor and Tewari are respected, articulate voices on international geo-strategic fora. Salman Khurshid is the former minister of external affairs. They should have been the natural choices as Congress nominees for the all-party delegations. Why did the Congress snub them by excluding them from its list of nominees? A simple answer—pettiness and vested interests. The clique of sycophants surrounding Rahul Gandhi and his family make him insecure and won't let him see the reality that they are using him for their own vested interests. Also read: 'Should've sought concurrence'—Congress miffed by Tharoor accepting govt invite for all-party delegations Congress insults Tharoor I will confine myself to Shashi Tharoor and Kerala politics here. Here is a situation where the Congress is virtually humiliating him. Think of the party's national general secretary (communications), Jairam Ramesh, publicly undermining Tharoor with a series of loaded comments. Ramesh said that whatever Tharoor spoke was his personal opinion, not the party's. Read the other remarks by Ramesh: There is a huge difference between being in the Congress and of the Congress; the Congress is like the mighty Ganga, which has many tributaries…some of them dry up and some get polluted. So, what's there for a 'polluted' Shashi Tharoor to keep being a Ganga tributary? He says he is not easily humiliated, but his party is testing his limits. Everybody knows who's behind this humiliation. It's KC Venugopal, the powerful general secretary (organisation) who has total control over Rahul Gandhi. Venugopal's chief ministerial ambition is hardly a secret. So he has to get every competitor—the biggest being Tharoor—out of the way. Knowing Venugopal's complete hold over Rahul, everyone else close to the Gandhis—say, Jairam Ramesh—must smear Shashi Tharoor. Well, Modi government saw an opportunity and jumped in. Why blame the BJP then? Let's go back to how the Gandhis humiliated Punjab's then-chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, in the run up to the 2022 assembly election – just because the blue-blooded ex-royal who was a friend of Rajiv Gandhi from Doon School days didn't bring himself to flatter the latter's children. The Gandhi siblings also developed a liking for Singh's detractor, Navjot Sidhu, the cricketer-turned-politician who had quit the BJP to join the Congress. The Congress lost the 2022 Punjab assembly election, but the Gandhis won as they became instrumental in Capt. Amarinder Singh's political retirement. A similar plot is unfolding in Kerala, because Rahul Gandhi is so enamoured with KC Venugopal. Congress leaders don't know why, but Tharoor must go. The high command humiliated Amarinder Singh enough for him to resign and part ways. And KC-Jairam & Co is doing enough for Tharoor to do the same sooner or later. Who cares if the Congress wins or loses in Kerala? Also read: Excluded by Congress, Shashi Tharoor says 'honoured' by govt's invitation to join all-party delegation Tharoor's options What are Tharoor's options? He has chief ministerial ambitions, for sure. Why not? A four-term MP with so much following across Kerala and the rest of the country can't be faulted for this ambition. After all, he is someone that the youth across caste lines adore. The two dominant minorities in Kerala, the Christians and the Muslims who constitute 45 per cent of the population, love his liberal views and outlook. The Nair Service Society, an organisation claiming to represent the second most dominant community in Kerala, is willing to embrace him. Meanwhile, the Ezhavas, the most dominant Hindu community in Kerala who have been traditionally aligned with the Left, are showing signs of change in loyalty. According to a CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey conducted during the 2021 assembly elections, 23 per cent of Ezhavas voted for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—up from 18 per cent in 2016. According to the post-poll survey in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, 32 per cent Ezhavas voted for the NDA. So, the Left voters are already splitting. As for the Nairs, their votes for the BJP went up from 27 per cent in the 2021 assembly elections to 45 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. So, those who think that Tharoor doesn't have the option of switching to the BJP are wrong. This data should come as a reality check. Look at the difference in the vote shares of Tharoor and his closest rival, BJP's Rajiv Chandrashekhar, in Thiruvananthapuram in the 2024 Lok Sabha constituency. There is a difference of 16,000 votes or so. And a significant number of Congress voters were actually Tharoor voters. So, when we start talking about how Tharoor can't go with the BJP in Kerala, here is a clear answer, in a question: why not? His parliamentary constituency will be safe. The Congress is not making him the CM face anyway. So, if he becomes the BJP's CM candidate, what does he have to lose? Look at the possible scenarios. First, a large section of the Hindu voters – with a significant section among Nairs and Ezhavas already veering toward the BJP – go with Tharoor. Second, Tharoor may still enjoy popularity among minorities—something that happened in the case of BJP's successful Thrissur candidate, Suresh Gopi. This opens up the game. I am certainly not suggesting that Tharoor is going to the BJP. I am talking hypothetically. If he decides to quit the Congress — given how determined KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh are to push him out — he has many options. The Left will also embrace him, for sure. I remember the day he had come to visit the AKG Bhawan, headquarters of the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) in New Delhi, in 2006. Back then, he wanted India to back his candidature for the UN secretary-general's post, and the Left wielded a lot of power in that government. I still remember how the comrades were so excited about that visit. Recently appointed CPI(M) general secretary, MA Baby, has said that CM Pinarayi Vijayan, 79, will lead the poll campaign in the 2026 elections, but that the CM will be elected after the elections if the Left wins. Basically, Vijayan is not necessarily the next CM if the Left wins again. So, does Tharoor have an option to realise his dreams in the Left? They would love to welcome him for sure. But a non-Comrade has no chance at claiming the coveted seat. KC Venugopal's Congress won't give it to him anyway. So, if Tharoor has to realise his ambitions and implement his vision for the state, the BJP remains a choice— given that Rahul Gandhi & Co are doing their best to push him out. Tharoor would, of course, remember how the Gandhis finished Captain Amarinder Singh through a thousand cuts, humiliating him on a daily basis. As it is, the Gandhis seem to be preparing for a re-do of Punjab in the Kerala assembly elections early next year. DK Singh is Political Editor at ThePrint. He tweets @dksingh73. Views are personal. (Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
