Tharoor Praises PM Modi’s RNG Lecture, Underscoring an Unusual Cross-Party Convergence as Congress Watches Silently
In a rare moment of open appreciation that once again highlights his independent intellectual streak, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ramnath Goenka Memorial Lecture, describing it as both “an economic outlook and a cultural call to action.”
Tharoor said he was “glad to have been in the audience” despite battling a severe cold.
Tharoor’s warm endorsement comes at a time when his repeated acknowledgements of Modi’s global and domestic positions often stir unease within the Congress high command.
However, owing to Tharoor’s stature — both as an internationally respected diplomat and the Congress’s most prominent intellectual face from Thiruvananthapuram — the party has largely avoided publicly confronting him.
Tharoor’s Praise for Modi’s Post-Colonial Call
Reacting to Modi’s sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, Tharoor wrote on X that the Prime Minister delivered a compelling message on India’s “constructive impatience” for development while urging the country to shed its “Western mindset.”
He highlighted Modi’s argument that India had evolved from an “emerging market” to an “emerging model”, and noted the PM’s emotional appeal to restore pride in India’s languages, culture, and knowledge systems — framed as a 10-year national mission to undo Macaulay’s colonial legacy.
Tharoor, however, added a gentle reminder that Ramnath Goenka had used English journalism as a powerful tool of Indian nationalism.
Congress Watches, But Holds Back
Tharoor’s praise, though not new, continues to test the Congress’s tolerance for internal diversity.
His recent actions — including PM Modi entrusting him with articulating India’s stance on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, where Tharoor earned wide acclaim for his forceful presentation — have strengthened perceptions of his bipartisan acceptability.
Despite occasional discomfort in the party’s old guard, the Congress leadership has chosen to watch quietly, aware of Tharoor’s influence among urban, educated, and globalised voters.
What PM Modi Said in His Lecture
Modi’s address focused sharply on reversing two centuries of colonial conditioning:
- He criticised Thomas Macaulay’s education framework for creating Indians “Indian by appearance but British at heart.”
- He said the colonial mindset inflicted deep psychological wounds by making Indians believe Western knowledge and culture were superior.
- He proposed a 10-year national effort—leading to 200 years since Macaulay’s project—to rebuild India’s cultural confidence.
Modi also dismissed criticism that he remains in constant election mode, saying, “Not election mode—one must remain in emotion mode 24/7 to serve the people.”
The Prime Minister recalled Ramnath Goenka’s courage during the freedom struggle and the Emergency, saying Goenka elevated both journalism and democratic resistance in India.