Most recent articles by Shashi Tharoor
-
India and the BJPThe Modi decade
From the expansion of India's infrastructure to rapid technological diffusion, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nine years in office have included plenty of worthy achievements. Unfortunately, writes Shashi Tharoor, they have also featured flawed policies in a wide range of areas
-
Indian democracy at 75Narendra Modi’s damaging dominance
In office for more than eight years, Narendra Modi’s high popularity across India and formidable electoral clout make him nearly invincible. But, while his success in amassing political power is unquestionable, his ability to use it for the benefit of the vast majority of citizens remains very much in doubt. By Shashi Tharoor
-
The Afghanistan-Pakistan-China axisIndia's Taliban problem
The Taliban’s victory over the United States in Afghanistan will not only greatly embolden their fellow jihadists, but also shake up the region’s geopolitics. An Afghanistan-Pakistan-China axis involving policy co-ordination would represent a major risk for India, writes Shashi Tharoor
-
Faith and religious tolerance in IndiaWhere tolerance and segregation go hand in hand
A recent nationwide, multi-faith public-opinion survey has found that Indians value both religious tolerance and co-existence, on the one hand, and religious exclusivity and segregation, on the other. But this apparent contradiction, although astonishing to many, is in fact not entirely surprising. By Shashi Tharoor
-
Pimping the parliamentary facadeNarendra Modi's Potemkin democracy
India's prime minister has an "edifice complex" that has given rise to grand new government buildings, including a planned new parliament. Sadly, the spirit of deliberation and debate that animated the old parliament building risks being left there. By Shashi Tharoor
-
Eroding confidence in the Fourth EstateNarendra Modi declares war on India's free press
Freedom of the press is the mortar that binds together a free society. If Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to de-institutionalise what used to be a dynamic and independent Fourth Estate persist, public confidence in the media will steadily decline, along with confidence in Indian democracy, writes Shashi Tharoor
-
After the peace conference in DohaA test match with the Taliban
Under the tutelage of Pakistan's military, the Taliban brought peace to Afghanistan the last time it ruled the country. But it was the peace of the graveyard, which it could establish once again – this time with the support of the United States. India is watching developments closely. By Shashi Tharoor
-
Modi, the BJP and social mediaIndiaʹs WhatsApp elections
As Indiaʹs general election continues, there has been little progress in stopping "fake news", arresting its perpetrators, or limiting its spread. Thatʹs because the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is responsible for disseminating much of it. By Shashi Tharoor
-
India and PakistanModiʹs foreign policy – by whim, not design
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, Indiaʹs approach to relations with Pakistan has been inconsistent and episodic, typified in the tensions at the recent UN General Assembly. Modiʹs government has no cohesive policy framework for dealing with Pakistan, much less a compelling vision for lasting peace. By Shashi Tharoor
-
The BJP’s grand planIs ethnic cleansing coming to India?
Some four million people in Assam state, nearly all of them Bengali Muslims who have lived in India for more than four decades, are at risk of disenfranchisement after being excluded from the National Registry of Citizens. That may help Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP in the next election, but it won't do anything for peace, writes Shashi Tharoor
-
Comparison: India and TurkeyThe Modi-Erdogan parallel
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not achieved the degree of "state capture" that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has, he is also 11 years behind. The path the two leaders are on, however, is similar enough to invite comparison – and provoke concern. By Shashi Tharoor