Dr. Shashi Tharoor, who is a versatile and acclaimed writer as well as an orator, is the sitting Member of Parliament from

Thiruvananthapuram Parliamentary Constituency, Kerala, India for the second consecutive term. He also serves as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, Government of India.

Before entering politics, he was an international diplomat of great repute. He served the United Nations Organization (UNO) as a career official for nearly three decades, rising to the rank of Under-Secretary-General. For a short stint, he served as the Minister of State for External Affairs and Human Resource Development, Government of India.

Dr. Tharoor opens his mind to ‘The DentCare’.

1. What is your dream about India?

My dream for India resonates closely with my idea of India, which, as I have long argued, is that our nation may endure differences of caste, creed, color, conviction, culture, cuisine, costume and custom, and still rally around a consensus. And that consensus is around the simple idea that in a diverse democracy like ours, you do not really need to agree all the time – except on the ground rules of how you will disagree. My dream for India celebrates diversity: If America is a melting pot, then to me India is a thali, a selection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls. Each tastes different and does not necessarily mix with the next, but they belong together on the same plate, and they complement each other.

Sadly, in today’s times, this idea of India has been challenged by a bigoted, chauvinistic and exclusionist idea of India, where under our present political masters, some Indians are first and others are last. The triumphant majoritarianism of the ruling party marginalises minorities and seeks to reduce non-Hindus to second-class status in a Hindu Rashtra. Such an idea has nothing in common with the idea of India I have described, which is the idea on which our Constitution rests and on which our Republic has operated for seven decades. It is divisive rather than inclusive, intolerant of diversity and difference.

At the same time, as a cautious optimist, I do believe that hope is not lost and that in a country as large and diverse as our own, it takes time to develop such an extraordinarily inclusive and pluralistic idea of India. So my dream is that we shall be able to successfully return to that Indian idea in the near future. And that having done so, we will create an India where no one goes hungry or lives without a roof over their head; where all our citizens have decent work, a primary health care clinic within a few kilometres from their place of residence, good schools for their children and the opportunity to better their lives.

2. How do you define an ideal politician?

To my mind, an ideal politician would first and foremost be principled. They should have a vision of politics as a mission and a calling, not merely a job or a career. Other character traits that would also be important include knowledge (including the capacity and willingness to keep learning), humility, sincerity, perseverance and fortitude. Of course, an ideal politician will also need very good communications skills, and also be required to be an excellent diplomat capable of juggling an eclectic list of expectations, challenges and political adversaries that she or he will inevitably encounter in their journey. And an Indian politician in the present social media era will also need a very thick skin that will not be pierced fatally by the barbs of critics and trolls.

3. What are your career milestones still remaining to be achieved?

I have been extraordinarily fortunate to have had (at the risk of some immodesty) a fairly successful and eventful career so far – starting from nearly three decades with the United Nations, multiple roles in the Congress Party (including two ministerial stints with UPA 2) and of course, the satisfaction of having been twice elected Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram. The last one has arguably been the most rewarding experience of them all, since it has given me a unique opportunity to not only help the people of my constituency and ensure their well being but also, in my own way, contribute to the national discourse in the country. I had once remarked that ‘India matters to me and I would like to matter to India’. I believe as a Parliamentarian, I have been incredibly fortunate to be able to live by that motto, each and every day.

As for future milestones, I have never known at any stage in my life what I would be doing in two years’ time and where I would be doing it, but things have worked out pretty well. My philosophy is that whatever I find myself doing, I should do it well and to the best of my ability, and the future will follow.

Of course, in politics, there are no certainties, and the voters might choose to return me to my other world, that of writing. I am already a former Minister, may one day become a former MP but I hope never to be a former writer.

4. Could you disclose an impressive moving experience in your life that you cherish forever?

It is hard to single one such instance. As an elected representative, each day spent in my constituency comes inevitably with many such experiences. But if I really had to single one such experience out, I would choose one from when I served as the head of UNHCR in Singapore from 1981-84, at a time when the crisis of Vietnam boat people was at its peak. My first and foremost role, just like the core mandate of UNHCR, was to protect the refugees. Refugees picked up in the high seas were being brought in, and it was my job to help negotiate their disembarkation, get them into refugee camps and look after them, negotiate their acceptance by other countries for resettlement, and get them off to new lives. Which meant that I was able to put my head to the pillow every night knowing that the things I had done during the day had made a concrete difference to real human beings, to their lives. In fact, these were people I could actually see around me. They were not statistics or figures on a piece of paper. That was amazingly enriching in all sorts of ways. It went beyond diplomacy.

I remember one family in particular, with two small infants (one a new baby) who had been floating in the sea for a prolonged period after the makeshift engine on their boat had died. They were out of food and water, subsisting on rain water and hope. The parents slit their own fingers and got the infants to suck their blood in order to survive. When they were rescued by an American ship they were so weak they could hardly stand. To see that same family a few weeks later, healthy, well-dressed and setting off for a new life in the United States, was an extraordinary experience. It offered the kind of satisfaction that few jobs in the world do.

5. You are a man of erudition noted for oratorical prowess. How did you master the finesse?

My vocabulary has been a product of a habit of voracious, indiscriminate and copious reading that began at the age of two. During my school days, it helped that there were no TVs, computers or mobile phones to distract me from reading. So books became my entertainment, my escape – and my education. There is just so much to read that you cannot go wrong wherever you start! I believe that reading is a way of learning, especially learning how to write. To be a good writer, you need to be a good reader.

As for public speaking, it is one of those skills best developed by doing – that is, you become a better speaker by speaking, perhaps not so well initially, until you develop your mastery by gauging your impact on real audiences. I went to schools that held elocution, debate and extempore speech contests, so I honed my skills early, as a child, in competition with my peers. The basic rules are to know what you are saying – have a coherent argument that makes sense; ensure you have the supportive points and facts to buttress it and to counteract the other side; speak clearly and persuasively, ideally with some spark and wit as well. With effort, anyone can do it.