Forgive, but never forget what the British did: Shashi Tharoor

Bengaluru: “Forgive, but never forget,” said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to the Indians, while reminding them of the “stark realities” India faced during the colonial rule under the British.

“The first act of atonement should be to acknowledge the past, admit the mistakes and express gratitude for the numerous contributions India and Indians did for the welfare of the Brits,” he said calling out to the colonisers for an apology.

The author and historian also explained how the British conquest destroyed the then flourishing Indian economy, making way to impose their own terms of trade.

“The Brits even acquired the Hindi word loot into their dictionaries as well as their habits. The appalling tortures on peasants who could not pay the extortionate taxes the Brits demanded, the destruction of the steel industry, and the big list can go on and on. The continued depredation of India and the drainage of our resources is one of the stark realities of the colonialism we faced,” he said.

A person who has been waging a war of words against the colonisers, Tharoor corrected the mythical belief that the railways were a positive contribution the Brits left behind. “We should not forget that rail tracks were laid across the country deliberately to extract and transport resources from the interior to ports from where it was exported back to Britain,” he asserted.

The Lok Sabha member also interacted with the students and faculty of the Mount Carmel college. The talk themed on ‘Colonialism has left our shores, but not our imaginations: Where are we heading?’ was organised by the departments of Political Science and Journalism of the College along with Explore Karnataka Foundation.

‘State flag like licence plate’
Commenting on the debates on having a state flag stirring up in Karnataka, he said, “The state flag is similar to that of each state having a unique licence plate for vehicles. Having a state flag is a matter of expressing state pride and should not be a problem, unless it is seen as a symbol of separatism or secession,” asserted Mr Tharoor. 

Prez, V-P should work independently
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on the recent presidential elections, Mr Tharoor expressed hope that the newly elected President and the to-be elected Vice-President being “independent entities.”

"Party beliefs and ideologies should cease once they are elected to the most responsible positions and I hope that they function towards upholding the Constitution,” he said.

Flays SC fiat on Anthem

Reacting to an audience question on national anthem being made mandatory at cinema halls, but not at the Parliament houses or courts, the MP called the Supreme Court judgment an “embarrassment.”

He said, “The cinema is a place for entertainment and not a venue to demonstrate patriotism. Let them impose on themselves and set an example,” adding that the national anthem is being sung at the end of each session at the Parliament.