By PMA Rashid,
November 22, 2011
SHARJAH: Expatriates are ambassadors of Indian ideals abroad. However, the UAE’s Indian Diaspora has to pursue their ideals within a realistic framework, says noted writer-politician and former UN Under-Secretary General Dr Shashi Tharoor.
Interacting with a packed audience at the “Meet the Author” programme of the 30th edition of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), Tharoor remarked that UAE’s Indian community has extensively contributed to the development of their fostering nation. The expatriates also make great contributions to India in their chosen fields.
He said India shaped his mind, anchored his identity, influenced his beliefs and made him who he is now. “India matters to me and I would like to matter to India.”
The SIBF 2011, organised by the Sharjah government, being run from Nov. 16 to 26 at Sharjah Expo Centre, has been declared as the “India Focus Year,” featuring many popular Indian writers. Tharoor interacted with the Indian community and signed several copies of his autobiography for his fans at the book fair.
Dr Tharoor urged the community members to promote cultural diplomacy through more festivals of India abroad, as the magic of Indian identity is its pluralism. “The Indian entertainment industry is already doing this by bringing its brand of entertainment to the Indian Diaspora across the globe.”
“The NRI (Non-Resident Indians) properties and investments back home should be well protected. The expatriates should be given enough opportunities and rehabilitation programmes when they return to their native places,” Tharoor pointed out, adding that he has been taking up the matter with the authorities concerned in India since he was elected as a member of parliament.
“India’s ability to manage its diversity in an age of globalisation and wield its ‘soft power’ internationally could well make it a world leader in the near future. India should now give attention, encouragement and active support to the aspects and products of its society that the world would find attractive.”
According to him, India and the Gulf countries have a shared view of peace and prosperity in this region. “The Gulf countries, having a special focus in India’s foreign policy with vital stake in its stability, security and economic well-being, look upon India as a friendly neighbour on which they can depend in times of difficulty.”
After a hiatus of two years, Dr Tharoor is back to writing a book about India’s place in the new balanced world of the 21st century.
“It’s a foreign policy book for lay people rather than scholars. It’s not just in terms of foreign policy, but how India would function in the future. I have been writing the book in bits and pieces in the last one-and-a-half years. All my deadlines have slipped. I hope it’ll be done by next year,” he said.
Tharoor recalled how a passion for literature had shaped his upbringing: “The passion for writing came to me from my family background. I began writing as a way to escape from my physical sufferings, which I overtook when I realised the absolute power and impact of words.”
“Non-fiction appeals to the mind, whereas fiction aims at the heart. There’s an empathy that emerges from the readers’ engagement with the text. I create an alternative world,” he observes.
“The new book is my vision of multi-alignment and a networked world. My vision of a networked world in the 21st century is multiple. Ordinary Indians can and must change India.”
“What motivates me is making a difference. My vision of India is of a country that keeps getting better at the always-unfinished task of improving the lives and opportunities of its citizens,” he concluded.
Tharoor has authored 12 books including the classic “The Great Indian Novel”. He published his last book “Shadows across the Playing Field” in 2009. He has served as the Under-Secretary General at the UN and has also been India’s Minister of State for External Affairs.
Source: The Gulf Today