A video is going viral: Shashi Tharoor the Congress MP’s speech at the acclaimed Oxford Union’s debating society in the UK
To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. ―Cicero
Retrospection! Looking-back always offers a perspective because historians and socio-political analysts can summon facts and analyze the wrongs of the erstwhile rulers. Offering perspectives and solutions for the betterment of today’s society and tomorrow’s youth and old (middle-aged should endure crises) seems less prospective for the thinking class and the establishment.
The Monsoon Session of the Indian Parliament is saddled with irresolvable issue over the resignation of the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. She favoured the fugitive Lalit Modi wanted in India for financial impropriety. She is insisting (and the BJP-cum-RSS?) not to resign in spite of enabling the fugitive to gain travel documents on humanitarian grounds for a man who lives in London without a passport! The Government of India has revoked Lalit Modi’s passport yet he sojourns in the UK. It shelters citizens of various countries on one or the other grounds including Russian oligarchs, businessmen (Hindujas and L K Mittal), showbiz industry, politicians exiled from Third World countries (Pervez Musharraf) and also Lalit Modi the founder of the disgraced IPL (what more could be more disgraceful than two key teams with wide popularity being suspended, ah?). However, the feeble Opposition led by the Congress’ 44 members in a House of 545 MPs is proving potently disruptive (causing disruption is a perspective). However, one of the Congress MPs has given a welcoming distraction to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi but roused anger in none other than the dowager and former de facto Prime Minister Sonia Gandhi: Shashi Tharoor.
Dr Shashi Tharoor is a prolific author and one of the Twitter czars from India along with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in terms of the number of followers they have among the politicians: there are none who are nearer to them in amassing followers.
Away from the shores of Hindustan, Shashi Tharoor participated in a debate organized by the Oxford Union in England on the topic of ‘reparations’ from the 21st century’s United Kingdom (a loose nation state of assertive nationalities: English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish in Northern Ireland of Protestant background). Tharoor argued that the British colonial rule heaped havoc (social and financial) in India during its rule in the Indian subcontinent in 18th, 19th centuries and first-half of the 20th century until Indian attained freedom at midnight in 1947. He won applause during his 15-minute slot for pointing out that Robert Clive not only looted Indian but also carried with him to Victorian England the word ‘loot’ to English lexicon. He berated the statesman and the Nobel-prize winner Winston Churchill for blatantly ignoring the famine in Bengal during the World War II in spite of being reminded by conscientious British colonial officers to address famine. Instead of responding to the crisis in divided Bengal in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh was yet to born), Churchill responded arrogantly: Why hasn’t Gandhi died yet? Tharoor argued that it is quantifiable to estimate the impact of British rule: India became an importer of goods from being an exporter, one-sixth of the British forces during the World War I were Indians (54,000 died, 65,000 were wounded, 4000 were missing) and also supplied ammunitions, rifles and machines guns; caused religious and racial divisions in the society among others. He summed up the debate by arguing that the British should consider giving reparations to India (and there are instances to this effect: Japan, Korea, Israel, and Britain paid reparations to Maoris in New Zealand).
Reparation means not a huge financial package that could be allocated to a sector in India, or a package for West Bengal or Bihar but a token amount: one pound a year for the next 200-years. Tharoor said, “We are not talking about reparations as a tool to empower anybody. They are a tool for you (British) to atone – for the wrongs that have been done.” He led his team to a comfortable victory in the debate: his team scored 185 votes while the British opposition won only 56 votes!
The video of this debate is going viral on social media websites: the number of people watching are growing and growing. The comments on this video are varied evoking historical instances at micro and macro level.
Oxford Union, which hosted the debate, has uploaded the video on its YouTube channel (unedited, uncensored version: can such things happen in Bharat without protests, or accused of being anti-national?). One of the viewers named Peter J commented: ‘I think what these calls for “repatriations” or “moral debts” really boils down to is retribution – to see Britain humiliated (or grovel) to gain a sense of nationalist superiority over the British, which Indians are still sorely lacking – unlike the Americans with their war of independence and their economic & military power dwarfing Britain’s, which's why they don't have any interest in apologies or repatriations.’ While Prathik Kr responded to this video on IBNlive.com: ‘If the Nazis can be prosecuted for crimes agents humanity why can’t Britain, I mean why say it’s too late for justice now, I’m of the opinion justice can be late and should not “should not” be denied.’
The video reached the attention of none other than the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also knows that is trending and going viral online. He profusely complimented Shashi Tharoor for his speech in England: “…an orator who says the right thing at the right place...sometimes, such things become a turning point.” Shashi Tharoor graciously accepted (touched and grateful) his compliments but made it clear that he is not joining the BJP!
True to the observations of the Prime Minister, Shashi Tharoor being Shashi Tharoor (a streak of fairness rising above petty political morass, and autonomous mind) observed that the Monsoon Session of the Parliament should be allowed to function. Because he has the experience of saying things to the British about their rulers’ past and its impact on Commonwealth countries: the British listened, and applauded him. While in India a fair comment gets reprimanded!
The video is going viral: viewed, commented, reported in the national media and British media, shared, having a long-life in age of diminishing-attention spans, transnational and transcontinental audience (Africans, and Caribbean) and its appeal to the Indians and Indian Diaspora including the British-origin Asians: Pakistanis, Indians and Bangladeshis!
Is reparation a way forward for atonement? What should be India’s reparations for its citizens? There are some lessons from Nelson Mandela’s ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ to the world in the Digital Age.
(Kovuuri G Reddy is the author of ‘Handbook of Journalism and Media: India, Bharat, Hindustan’)
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