Published in the New Indian Express, Page 3
Coimbatore Edition, dated December 19, 2006
It's the need of the hour, says Tharoor
By Francis P Barclay &
Haripriya V
Coimbatore, Dec 18: Politics, for Shashi Tharoor, is an entirely different art. Though he is yet to try his hand as a politician, indications are that he may do so in the near future.
The United Nations Under Secretary General for Communications and Public Relation was in the city for a `Face to Face' interactive session with students of various colleges.
During a lively session at the Assembly Hall of the PSG College of Technology, jointly organised by PSG Institute of Management and Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity, Tharoor said he is yet to give a thought on whether to venture into politics. But he called upon educated youth to enter politics so as to make a difference. It is the need of the hour, he said.
Asked whether he was disappointed when he withdrew, midway, from the race for the UN Secretary General's post, Tharoor quipped, "actually not."
``But learning the very fact that Indians were disappointed, disappointed me, but no regrets,'' he added.
On the possibility of India getting a permanent seat in the UN, he said it is unlikely in the near future.
But will a permanent seat change the way countries look at India?
``It's like putting the cart before the horse. First, India should make a difference, permanent seat would come in search of the country.''
Anyway, he said, the UN is planning for semipermanent seats, under which countries like India would be included. On the Volcker Report, he said the UN officials were not to be blamed as it was the middlemen and the Saddam Hussain Regime, responsible for it. ``But certainly there was mismanagement in the oil-for-food scam and the irregularities must have been spotted earlier.''
People have to give more thought to individual welfare, he replied to another question. Individual growth would contribute to the growth of a nation. A nation succeeds when its citizens succeed. ``But sometimes a larger social good would be more fruitful than the collective individual good,'' he pointed out.
On tourism potential of the country, he said India has still a long way to go. ``India, with its mosaic of culture, tradition and people, is not able to attract more tourists like a small country, Singapore."
India has invented more things long before Western countries thought about it. But the disgusting fact is that it failed to get the due recognition.
The UN diplomat, who is author of several books including `The Great Indian Novel', said writing was his passion since his childhood. He did not have any other leisure activities other than reading and writing.
``I started writing at the age of six and got my work printed at ten.''
So his favourite book?: "Dictionary."
Tharoor released a Rotary poster for a `Polio free world' on the occasion. Rotary former district governor K A Kuriachan, R Nandagopal, director, PSGIM, and G Rangaswamy, managing trustee, PSG Institutions, attended.
