7 months ago

Tharoor Praises Nehru but Criticizes BJP's Blame

Tharoor Praises Nehru but Criticizes BJP's Blame
I am a fan of Nehru but not an uncritical fan: Tharoor · m.rediff.com

Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP, spoke at a book festival in Kerala.

He said he admires Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, for establishing democracy but doesn't agree with everything Nehru did.

Tharoor thinks the current government, led by the BJP, blames Nehru for too many problems.

He mentioned that while some criticisms of Nehru might be valid, like the 1962 war with China, the BJP blames Nehru for everything.

Tharoor also talked about his love for reading and writing, starting from his childhood.

He advised younger people to read shorter books if they don't have much time.

He shared personal stories, like acting in a play with filmmaker Mira Nair and reciting his own poem.

Key facts

Event
Kerala Legislative Assembly International Book Festival (KLIBF)
Speaker
Shashi Tharoor
Topic
Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy and BJP's criticism
Nehru's Contribution
Established democracy in India
Tharoor's View
Admires Nehru but not uncritically
BJP's Criticism
Blames Nehru for various issues
Tharoor's Book
Biography of Sree Narayana Guru (28th book)
Tharoor's Advice
Short books for younger generation

Quotes

Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram

“I am a fan of Jawaharlal Nehru, but not an uncritical fan. I greatly admire his mind and outlook, and I have deep respect for him, though I cannot support all his beliefs and policies 100%. Many of the things he did deserve the highest appreciation. Most importantly, it was Nehru who firmly established democracy in India… I would not say that they (the Modi government) are anti-democratic, but they are certainly anti-Nehru. Nehru has been turned into a convenient scapegoat.”
news18.com
“For instance, the 1962 defeat against China can partly be attributed to some of Nehru’s decisions. But what they do now is blame Nehru for everything, regardless of the issue.”
news18.com

Sources

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