well has also been a fierce political debate back home here in India about Britain's multiculturalism and whether there are lessons for India as well, and particularly Shashi Tharoor of the Congress Party, who finds himself in the eye of yet another political storm. He joins us now on. NDTV are Shashi Tharoor. Thanks very much for being with us. Let me draw attention to that tweet that we're talking about that you had put out after Rishi Soon ox elevation and the onion. You said that as we Indians celebrate the ascent of Rishi soon Och, let's honestly ask, can it happen here? We have to acknowledge that the Brits have done something very rare to place a member of a visible minority in the most powerful office. Now the BJP has attacked you for this, and others have also pointed out that we've had a Dr Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, as prime minister for 10 years are that we have had Muslims as presidents. Therefore, was your comment misplaced? Well, I would say festival that you know, Dr Manmohan Singh absolutely does belong to visible minority that Miss Hindus do not see seats as particularly different from themselves. can be still imagined the day in our increasingly majoritarian polity that the BJP is, of course, very much behind. When someone who is not Hindu, Sikh OJ, no goddess can head our national government. I mean, I am being very blood because you Nivola that Hindu tha as a certain philosophy that says that the authentic Indians, the people who can claim lay claim to the term Hindu are the people from Indyk religions, people who state was born in the soil. So Hindu seed grain Burger Saul, seen on the same way that they're don't consider others welcome they Certainly when Sonia Gandhi Ji has after the prime ministership by her victorious coalition, and I guess she would qualify as an immigrant, that the public formulations about er of fair Amir, ruling billion Indians and one prominent politician, you know, cious threatened to show their head and conducted an outside parliament in protest. Sir Sonia Gandhi chose to decline. Now that is the kind of situation that you haven't obviously are any pilots foreign? I do believe that we have to knowledge er have been a very strong procedure British of of the position British racism. But here they have chosen to anoint as their leader. Browned skin Hindu, a member of a minority represents just, oh, 7% of their population. And where is more after history, which was certainly associated with overhead racism and a culture of racial discrimination that they exported with them to the colonies there rule during centuries, an imperial conquest and operations general of that, I would have you that what they've done is how they're out grill. What's remarkable about the Irish is have the programme their worst attributes, whereas I'm sorry to say in India and not sure we're ready to claim that the British were running clubs where, where people of colour disallowed. I remember in my childhood and Bombay there is still the bridge can be suing to where? Where no Indians well at the step is a completely whites only club. The same with the women came up to 1960. Now today, the same Brits have a prime minister Femine ethnicity that most people, most British people in those days would have regarded in criminal contempt for you, something we have to acknowledge its fury special. Are you therefore saying that there's a difference between India three and post 2040. There is that term that's never sidetracking the conversation to she. I am talking about what we can land from you. She soon aqsa triumph as America's. It really is the trial races. One major factor. Bill is not the only factor. Look at his arrest, safe in and practise of Hinduism. This is that the fate that Churchill remember and notoriously sneer that Hindus out a beastly people with a beastly religion. And here is not only somebody who practises him boo fate that she openly took his ministerial earth on a copy in the Bhagwat Geeta. Even as campaigning for the leadership, the 20 party earlier this year he tweeted photos and videos of himself performing car ownership and playing to make Krishnan Jan Marchini. And you know this is remarkable. Can you imagine saying about Kristen own avert Muslim whose public about their face and practising being embraced by the BJP as if it prime minister of India? I mean, I just don't think that the BJP is B. I think of being disingenuous being honest when they claimed that we have already got to where the British have walked because on this one. I mean, there is a point made by somebody that then prime minister is now the outgoing prime minister were allowed from the Bible of the queen's funeral service earlier this year, and and we're asking China, Hindu prime minister do that on a similar occasion. The morons, I have not asked him. But I can imagine that, like most in Bud's, he would also yes, because windows of the kind that's not the Hindu to a kind have no difficulty venerating the beliefs on the sacred texts of other fits. Serious she snacks. Hinduism has also assembly British at this follow thread. Hurting the BJP will not talk about the stock factor is age guys 40 to his parliamentary career began in 2015. Levy. Can you imagine that? You know, within five years he's the Finance Ministry's the chancellor of the exchequer. Eminent. Seven years of his first ever election is a prime minister of the country now in our country and either seven. This name, the BJP, all parties, it's still the occupied. But that benches of any ruling party spreading at burst of Minister of State tag rather than an ever s, is how much of 42 year old with seven years in parliament can expect to get so I mean, look at the difference is that this elevation is showing a some glad we're celebrating it because and weapon, it will make us reflect a little better in our own country. And the things we take for granted, right with another interesting point that is made by some, is that you nutritious snack was elected by MPs from his party and not the general public, and therefore would result have been different if he had actually been on the ballot. Well, the factors are we going to find out, I think a good thing for receipts that he has now 23 years almost to actually demonstrate his performance on and then go to the polls on the basis of a track record, which I think it's fair to say that if they were hiring a prime minister, middle, if he had come in as a party leader challenging for position without the track record that is already got on and that he can still acquire, he may have had a problem. Eyes wasn't totally surprised when between Liz Truss and even though he was manifestly the more qualified candidate he lost. And he lost because the vote shifted from the MPs where he was needing massively to the General Terry membership where he trade. Not that bad lighting. It was 53 to 47 I think in that election and 57 to 40 sweet. So it wasn't a great It wasn't close, but it's and still was in defeat in the larger membership and other months, the in peace. So we know that people of senior in close and work respect his capacity. The British have had an economic meltdown under trust. The last 45 days have been a disaster for the colony. They wanted to stake their offence. The man is wept in the private sector, worked on sort of Wall Street, worked in in England and hedge funds. He knows the economy and set up, he said pretty well and managing corporate from the financial point of view with his bailouts for businesses, 80% of salaries for those need off. All those things he came across is a safe pair of hands. And so there was clearly a question of, you know, you go for this guy or you face the general election because you're not going to be able to find someone who can do as good a job, a marriage in the economy. And that's again a wonderful thing, that his merit in his ability Trump's other considerations. When the British have to say, You know, they basically accepted that here, somebody who can do the job as of I other scholars that this survey that is religion, it's our worry about his origin. He can do the job this country needs, Um, in that sort of thing again, the share emphasis on merit is something that we cannot benefit to learn from and applaud. Marike, Shashi Tharoor Thanks very much for joining us.
