Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development and MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has yet another feather in his literary cap! He’s edited India: The Future is Now, a compilation of writings by the country’s young MPs. In an exclusive with Femina.in, he discusses the experience and what the Indian woman will take back from it…

India: The Future is Now is based on a unique concept – that of India’s young MPs putting down their thoughts and visions in print. How did the idea come about?
ST: Full credit to publisher Shobit Arya of Wisdom Tree, whose idea it was. I had launched one of his earlier publications and mentioned light-heartedly that young MPs were rarely heard from. He asked me to help make amends for that.

You’ve authored several books, but is this the first you’ve edited? How was the experience?
ST: The frustrating part was chasing the contributors for their submissions! The enjoyable bits were reflecting on their range of ideas and being able to offer my own thoughts in my introductory essay.

What constitutes a ‘young’ MP in India? How did you select the contributors and was there a briefing that determined the rough ideas and boundaries of each person’s piece?
ST: We were looking for MPs under forty from different parties and a range of backgrounds, urban-rural, right of centre and left, male and female. In the end we settled for those MPs under 45 who responded to our requests, and though we got some diversity, I would like to have seen a few more of our younger women MPs contribute.

What will the Indian reader take back from this book? 
ST: The sense that the next generation of political leaders in our country have some ideas for the future, and what those ideas and priorities are.

What’s in it for the young Indian woman? Which women MPs have contributed to the book?
ST: Priya Dutt (Congress) and Poonamben Jat (BJP) are the two women contributors. As I said, I would have liked to see more. Priya writes about the health and welfare of women and children, but the others are largely silent on gender-specific issues. If we ever do an expended edition, I will ensure we get more women contributors.

What’s next on the book front for you? Anything in the pipeline that you’re authoring currently?
ST: I wish! I had begun a novel but then they made me a Minister…