At a debate at Oxford University, Lok Sabha MP Tharoor said that Britain owes reparations to former colonies – “Britain’s rise for 200 years was financed by its depredations in India”, he had said.
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The speech has been widely appreciated in India, says the Hindustan Times, while the Indian Express calls it “brilliant and lucid”.
Just a day after Tharoor got an earful from his party boss Sonia Gandhi for leak of his remarks counselling Congress against disruption of Parliament over Vyapam scam and External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s link with Lalit Modi, the former IPL commisssioner, his praise by the Prime Minister left political tongues wagging.
In an explosive speech at the Oxford Union, Shashi Tharoor argued that the British looted and plundered India during the two-century Raj of the subcontinent, and that Britain must accept that it owes a debt to India for its wrongdoings during the days of the Empire.
PM Modi praised Shashi Tharoor for articulating India’s view point at the Oxford debate, which has gone viral on YouTube, at a workshop on Sustainable Development Goals at a Speaker’s Research Initiative programme held in New Delhi.
Reports said that Sonia Gandhi reprimanded the Thiruvananthapuram MP on Wednesday evening for openly saying that he was not in favour of disrupting Parliament over Congress’ demand for the resignation of three top BJP leaders. He harped on the loss of Indian economy due to 200 years of British rule.
Mr Modi said words acquire an added importance depending on the time and occasion theywere spoken at.
Mr Tharoor, seated in the front row, acknowledged the PM’s remarks with a smile.
The man who is still trapped in the controversy of the mysterious death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor had also accepted PM’s invite to join the “Clean India” campaign and had recently praised Modi’s campaign on yoga and had also remarked that the Prime Minister leaves a positive impact on the countries he visits though he follows the UPA policies.
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“I am very touched and grateful”, the 59-year-old said, after the compliments on his oratory skills.
