Shashi Tharoor

Behind the scenes in West Asia, the Art of the Deal vs market-style negotiation

June 17,2026 15:02:00 PM

The tragedy of US-Iran diplomacy is that both sides are reading from entirely different scripts

Shashi Tharoor writes: The argumentative Indian must also learn to listenSign In to read

June 10,2026 15:11:08 PM

Ancient Indian thinkers thrived on rigorous debate, where the goal was to dismantle an opponent’s argument to reach a higher truth. However, in the modern era, this cultural predilection for debate has arguably morphed into a performative contest

Shashi Tharoor writes: Dear Gen Z, you don’t need to be treated like cockroaches, you can change the system from withinSubscriber Only

June 03,2026 13:05:28 PM

If all else fails, take your case to court. But for that, you need to have a case, not just a set of slogans or memes expressing your frustrations

Marco Rubio’s visit cannot fully undo a year of systemic whiplash in India-US tiesSubscriber Only

May 27,2026 21:31:57 PM

While Rubio effectively managed the acute symptoms of the crumbling partnership, the underlying disease — the radical unpredictability of Washington’s transactional MAGA foreign policy — remains uncured

Shashi Tharoor writes: In Iran and beyond, force has its limits – and vulnerability can become leverageSubscriber Only

May 20,2026 13:32:08 PM

When punishment is pursued without a parallel effort to manage risk and provide pathways to de‑escalation, it hardens resistance rather than softening it

At the India-Nordic Summit, turn ‘sambandh’ into strategySubscriber Only

May 13,2026 12:53:21 PM

At a time when the turbulence of the Trumpian era has unsettled global norms, India and the Nordic countries share a common interest in defending world order and stability

Shashi Tharoor writes: The Left needs to find a new vocabulary for ‘New India’Subscriber Only

May 05,2026 15:30:39 PM

Even if the hammer and sickle disappear from the map this month, the questions the Left raised — about inequality, the unstable indignity of labour, and the need for a social safety net — will continue to haunt ‘New India’ for years to come

Et tu, Kerala? Rise of identity politics threatens social cohesion, governanceSubscriber Only

April 29,2026 16:47:38 PM

The growing strength of the BJP and its allies in Kerala’s political arena has forced both the LDF and UDF to recalibrate their strategies, often by shoring up their own communal bases to counter the BJP’s appeal

Shashi Tharoor writes: The Trojan Horse of delimitation, and fundamental questions about the design of our democracySubscriber Only

April 18,2026 11:10:21 AM

We must ask ourselves if a model of parliamentary representation designed in the mid-20th century is still suitable for a sprawling, diverse nation of 145 crore people with such vast disparities among its constituent units

Shashi Tharoor writes: A new world order needs a credible architect. India must claim that roleSubscriber Only

April 16,2026 07:00:15 AM

When India remains passive as expletive-laden threats fly and violations of the UN Charter multiply, it risks losing the very credibility that makes it a leader of the Global South. It is time for a proactive, principled diplomacy

Islamabad channel: India must stand for peace, whoever the broker may beSubscriber Only

April 09,2026 06:20:42 AM

If Pakistan succeeds, India should be among the first to celebrate the return of peace. Celebrating a neighbour’s successful mediation does not diminish our standing; it is a recognition that in a nuclear-armed neighbourhood, a win for stability is a win for everyone.

Shashi Tharoor writes: Kerala must show how an ageing population can thriveSubscriber Only

April 02,2026 06:15:27 AM

By fostering a ‘silver economy’ that incentivises private investment in elder-care technology and infrastructure, Kerala can ensure that its ageing population remains a vibrant, contributing social segment.

Shashi Tharoor writes | In LDF’s Sabarimala U-turn, a lesson for religious reformSubscriber Only

March 26,2026 06:19:11 AM

The challenge of the coming years will be to find a middle path — one where religious reform is driven from within the community of believers, through dialogue and consensus

Shashi Tharoor writes: India’s silence on West Asia war is not moral surrender. It is responsible statecraftSubscriber Only

March 19,2026 06:16:10 AM

We were reluctant to condemn the Soviet Union’s flagrant violations of international law in Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), and Afghanistan (1979). Why? Because we rightly judged that we had too much at stake in our relationship with Moscow to antagonise it.

Shashi Tharoor writes: Era of gentle trade is over. Global village is being replaced by law of jungleSubscriber Only

March 12,2026 06:19:23 AM

The realisation that a single geopolitical tremor — a pandemic or a sudden invasion — can collapse a supply chain has turned trade into a defensive crouch

Shashi Tharoor writes: Our stakes are high in West Asia. Delhi must call for diplomacy, de-escalationSubscriber Only

March 06,2026 06:10:40 AM

Uncomfortable questions persist about the strategic logic of unleashing war. Was this gamble for regime change inspired by a desire to create a unipolar West Asia, integrating currently-sanctioned Iranian oil into world markets under a more friendly government?

Shashi Tharoor writes: Deterrence cannot be built on hope. Growing defence budget is a course correctionSubscriber Only

February 26,2026 08:27:40 AM

Deterrence, after all, is not a matter of slogans or sentiment. It is a material condition rooted in capability. An adversary is deterred only when it believes that aggression will fail or cost more than it is worth

Shashi Tharoor writes: Don’t force us to sing Vande Mataram. Our nationalism must encompass the believer, the dissenter and the quiet observerSubscriber Only

February 19,2026 07:42:35 AM

Those who feel comfortable singing the latter verses should be encouraged to do so. Simultaneously, the state must explicitly assure those with conscientious or religious objections, whether they are Muslims, Christians, or atheists, that they are excused from singing the verses that trouble them

Shashi Tharoor writes: Why I introduced a Bill for a permanent framework for states’ reorganisationSubscriber Only

February 12,2026 07:47:38 AM

UP is over 240 million, Maharashtra and Bihar each around 130 million. These administrative units are larger than most sovereign countries in Europe. While size might once have been viewed as a symbol of power, in the 21st-century administrative context, it has become a debilitating burden

For India-Pakistan, peace is not weakness, dialogue is not defeatSubscriber Only

February 05,2026 07:21:22 AM

In the long run, the most effective deterrent to cross-border hostility may not be military might or diplomatic isolation, but the presence of human relationships that resist the logic of enmity. This calls for enhanced people-to-people engagement, especially in sectors where the risk of infiltration or misuse is low

Shashi Tharoor writes: Civilisational pride should remind us that our greatest achievements were born of openness, not insularitySubscriber Only

January 29,2026 07:26:06 AM

India’s civilisation has never been monolithic. It is a tapestry woven from countless threads — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, tribal, secular, Western and Indic. To reduce this vast mosaic to a binary struggle between Hindus and Muslims is to betray the very essence of our civilisation.

Shashi Tharoor writes: Amid cable newsification, journalism must reclaim its role as check on powerSubscriber Only

January 22,2026 07:11:11 AM

The contagion does not stop at television. Social media platforms amplify the spectacles, slicing them into shareable clips that ricochet across WhatsApp groups and Twitter feeds. The result is a feedback loop.

Shashi Tharoor writes: Sergio Gor’s arrival signals that a reset of India-US ties is within reachSubscriber Only

January 15,2026 07:11:11 AM

The tariff wall, along with disputes over market access and India’s pragmatic energy ties with Russia, has transformed the economic landscape from one of cooperation to one of caution. Gor must act as the chief restructuring officer

Shashi Tharoor writes: Banning Mustafizur Rahman from IPL makes no sense. Bangladesh isn’t PakistanSubscriber Only

January 08,2026 07:15:10 AM

If we decide that Indian public outrage against Bangladesh determines eligibility, what happens to Bangladeshi Hindu cricketers like Litton Das or Soumya Sarkar?

Shashi Tharoor writes: India’s test in 2026 will be to remain, in a world of fissures, a bridgeSubscriber Only

January 01,2026 07:56:04 AM

The phenomenon of interdependence without trust continues. India has shown that the path forward is not to retreat from the world, but to engage with a clear vision that prioritises national interest without abandoning global responsibility