NEW DELHI: There are voices in Indian politics that shout, voices that provoke, and voices that merely echo party lines. And then, there is Dr. Shashi Tharoor–a voice of reason, of intellect, of grace. In an era of soundbite politics, where outrage is currency and truth is negotiable, he remains steadfast in his commitment to facts, to ideas, to the principles of democracy. He does not seek refuge in rhetoric but chooses the harder path: the path of speaking the truth even when it is inconvenient. It is this courage–this unwavering commitment to integrity–that makes him not just a politician but a statesman.
I have known him for almost a quarter of a century. I first met him in New York, a city that does not impress easily. A city of sharp minds, of tough critics, of people with exacting standards and even higher expectations of voices from other lands. And yet, even in that unforgiving landscape, Dr. Tharoor stood out. Not because he sought attention, but because respect naturally found its way to him. He was a man who commanded admiration–not with bluster, but with the quiet force of intellect, of scholarship, of knowing exactly what he stood for. He spoke for India long before he entered politics, long before he was an elected representative. In the corridors of the United Nations, in gatherings of diplomats, in rooms where people sought ideas rather than slogans, he was the rare Indian who was not just listened to, but deeply heard.
In a Congress Party struggling to define its future, he stands out as a leader with vision, a beacon of hope for the youth of India, a man who has spent a lifetime advocating for progress, plurality, and the promise of an inclusive, forward-thinking India. The youth of India, who are often disillusioned with politics, admire him–not just for his eloquence but for his substance. He is one of the rare politicians who does not pander to slogans, does not promise what he cannot deliver, and does not play the games of lesser men. His credibility comes not from grandstanding but from a lifetime of service. He was once the youngest Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, a man who walked the halls of global diplomacy, who sat across from world leaders, who spoke not just of India but for India. And yet, he left it all behind, rejected cushy international positions, returned home to serve, and chose the more difficult life of electoral politics.
Four times in a row, he has won the hearts and votes of Thiruvananthapuram, a constituency where the BJP has failed to gain ground, despite its massive push to unseat him. And why? Because he speaks to the people. Not at them. Not above them. But with them. In Parliament, he has championed the concerns of South India, ensuring that the voices of those often overshadowed in Delhi’s power corridors are not ignored. When he rises to speak, there is a hush. There is an expectation. There is respect. His speeches, rousing and sharp, are a masterclass in statesmanship, blending intellect, humor, and piercing truth. He does not wield his words like a blunt instrument but like a finely honed blade, cutting through the noise, making people think, forcing even his detractors to listen.
Yet, for all his contributions, his own party has often failed to recognize the leader they have in him. He was bypassed for the Leader of the Opposition role in 2019, in favor of someone less articulate, less dynamic. His bid for Congress presidency was met not with open arms, but with resistance, as party officials allegedly warned delegates to stay away from his campaign. And yet, despite the odds, he still won over a thousand votes–more than many before him had received–proving that within the Congress, there is an undeniable hunger for change, for fresh leadership, for voices like Tharoor’s. The very body he created, the All India Professional Congress, meant to bridge the gap between professionals and politics, was taken away from him. He has been excluded from key parliamentary debates, even on subjects he has written about extensively. And yet, he remains. Not bitter. Not resentful. But steadfast.
Even now, Kerala’s political landscape bears witness to his resilience. His recent article in The New Indian Express sparked controversy, not for what he wrote, but because he dared to speak candidly about the state’s economic realities. In a closed-door political system, where even mildly contrarian opinions are met with hostility, his words–measured, insightful, necessary–became a lightning rod. But he did not waver. “Read the article before you comment on a one-line summary!” he said, standing by his truth, unfazed by the manufactured storm around him. And why should he waver? When the facts are on his side, when his work speaks for itself?
For years, he has been at the forefront of Kerala’s development. The Kazhakoottam-Karodu National Highway Bypass, stuck in bureaucratic limbo for forty years, was finally completed because he worked across party lines to make it happen. The Vizhinjam port, a project a hundred years in the making, is now on the verge of completion, India’s first deep-water container transshipment port, made possible in part by his intervention when it was on the brink of collapse. In Kazhakoottam, Technopark has become a hub for global giants like Oracle, Nissan Digital Hub, and Ernst & Young, bringing thousands of jobs to the region–again, a testament to his vision. He has used his diplomatic influence to open consulates for the UAE and Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram, making travel easier for his constituents. He has fought for railway modernization, better connectivity, new road projects, disability-friendly infrastructure. His work is not theoretical. It is tangible. It is lived. It is felt.
He could have played it safe. He could have chosen silence when it was easier. He could have aligned himself with the powers that be and coasted on the privileges of his stature. But that is not who Shashi Tharoor is. Time and again, he has spoken not for what is politically expedient, but for what is right. When journalists have been attacked, when minorities have been targeted, when press freedoms have been curbed, when democracy itself has been under threat, he has not hesitated to call it out. He has taken on the government with facts, with logic, with the weight of history behind him. Rajdeep Sardesai put it best: “In the age of frenzied media noise, a single tweet or a neatly clipped 20-second soundbite can spark off a swirling controversy.” Tharoor understands this, but he does not succumb to it.
And that is why history will favor him. Because history remembers those who stand firm when others bend. Because history is not kind to the mediocre, to the transactional, to those who play it safe. It remembers the ones who dared. Who spoke. Who stood for something greater than themselves.
In the end, Tharoor is not just a politician. He is a statesman. Not just an orator. But a thinker. Not just a member of the Congress Party, but a voice for the future of India. The Congress Party may have failed to fully embrace him, but India has not. The youth, the thinkers, the dreamers, the progressives, the rationalists–they see in Tharoor a hope for a different kind of politics.
He is not the voice of the past. He is the voice of the future. And that, more than anything else, is why he matters. (ANI/Suvir Saran)
Disclaimer: Suvir Saran is a Masterchef, Author, Hospitality Consultant And Educator. The views expressed in this article are his own.
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