Politics is the effective way to do something for the country, says Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor discusses politics, morality, and ideologies at Horthus festival, emphasizing the importance of serving society through politics.

“If politics is all about power, then what are morals and ideologies good for?” asked writer and parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor.

Answering a question about his chances of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the session on ‘India’s present’ at Horthus, an art and literature festival organised on Kozhikode beach on Friday, he said politics was the effective way to do something for the country, as it helped him influence decisions. “A politician should have a vision for society. If it is money and power that you are after, there are other ways. Politics should be used to serve society,” he said in a conversation.

Mr. Tharoor kept diplomacy at bay as he recalled the controversies that erupted in the State based on some of his remarks when they were wrongly interpreted.

“I realised it was better not to make any comments,” he said. Touching upon the controversy regarding his latest book on Ambedkar, he said he was in favour of some of the arguments of Ambedkar but did not like the way they were made. “It is not necessary to always be either for or against an idea. The world is not all black and white. On the other hand, I do not support making a God out of a human being, upholding everything he said, as if he could not make any mistakes,” Mr. Tharoor said.

He also explained his stand on the caste system in the country. “Though I personally do not like it, I cannot deny that the caste system is a harsh reality that we cannot ignore. In north India, especially, it is a factor that influences the literacy, employment, and even land ownership of people. People in the upper castes have the luxury of denying their caste, but those in the lower castes are made to live with it on a daily basis,” he said.

Mr. Tharoor also forecast a dangerous situation that awaited the country post the census and the impending delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population. The thickly populated north Indian States getting more seats in Parliament will result in policies being implemented in their favour and based on their ideologies. He called upon south Indian States to stay united against this possible change that would destroy the social unity of the country and also to show the northern States how to live in harmony.