Latest news with #AhmedabadManagementAssociation
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gujarat Confidential: ‘Not bidding for a job'
During an interaction at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) on Saturday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was asked if he would prefer being an education minister or a foreign minister. He replied: 'That'll sound as if I am bidding for a job so I won't answer that question'. Tharoor, who heads the parliamentary committee on External Affairs, is part of an all-party delegation, formed to convey a united message of India's zero tolerance against terrorism following the terror attack in Pahalgam and 'Operation Sindoor' in response to it.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Don't be surprised if India responds again to provocation: Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion here, he also said that on the 50th anniversary of Emergency, politicians should dedicate themselves afresh to the Constitution and the values of our founding fathers rather than scoring political points. Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to tell their hosts that India acted with restraint and responsibility, Tharoor said during a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association. Even Colombia, which had issued a statement earlier expressing condolences for those killed in Pakistan, withdrew it, he noted. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self-defence, but they actually commended the restrained manner of our response, that we could have been much I would say that, by and large, they were all very understanding," said the Congress leader. "But I would usually end by conveying that they should not be surprised that if this (terrorist attack) happens again, we too would do this again, and we wanted their understanding in advance. And I believe we left everybody in no doubt about our feelings and our intentions," he added. India signaled from the start that it was not interested in protracted conflict or starting a war, Tharoor further said. "What we were interested in was retribution against terrorists, and we only hit terrorist camps, terrorist facilities, terrorist bases. And from our point of view, that was it," he later told media persons at the venue. India's position was that "if Pakistan hits, we hit back, if it stops, we stop, so that the day they signaled that they would stop, India was willing to stop from the very start, and no one needed to persuade India to stop. "That's what the prime minister has also said. On the other hand, perhaps Pakistan needed persuasion, we don't know what the Americans may have said to Pakistan. If Pakistanis feel they stopped because Americans wanted them to, good for them, that's not a problem for us," he added. The delegation to five countries led by Tharoor was one of the seven multi-party delegations India dispatched to 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to highlight Pakistan's links to terrorism. Speaking about the Emergency imposed by the erstwhile Congress government 50 years ago, Tharoor said everyone is very clear that it was "a bad period in our history because of a lot of suspensions (of liberties)," and then prime minister Indira Gandhi herself called elections and gracefully accepted their outcome. "I think all of us should use this anniversary to re-dedicate ourselves to the Constitution, to the values of freedom, to the values that our founders fought for and established," he said, adding, "I hope everyone uses this 50th anniversary not to play political games and score political points, but rather to re-dedicate ourselves to those ideals..." On his recent Russia visit, Tharoor said it was an opportunity to touch base with his counterparts and meet his "old friend", Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "By and large our message (on Operation Sindoor) has been consistent. Fortunately the delegation sent by our government had already been there and met these people, so my task was not a difficult one to reinforce the message," he said. Russia has been India's old and trusted friend and it is always good to maintain these relationships, the Congress leader added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV
28-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Don't Be Surprised If India Repeats Action Upon Provocation: Shashi Tharoor
Ahmedabad: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion, he also said that on the 50th anniversary of Emergency, politicians should dedicate themselves afresh to the Constitution and the values of our founding fathers rather than scoring political points. Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to tell their hosts that India acted with restraint and responsibility, Tharoor said during a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association. Even Colombia, which had issued a statement earlier expressing condolences for those killed in Pakistan, withdrew it, he noted. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self-defence, but they actually commended the restrained manner of our response, that we could have been much I would say that, by and large, they were all very understanding," said the Congress leader. "But I would usually end by conveying that they should not be surprised that if this (terrorist attack) happens again, we too would do this again, and we wanted their understanding in advance. And I believe we left everybody in no doubt about our feelings and our intentions," he added. India signaled from the start that it was not interested in protracted conflict or starting a war, Tharoor further said. "What we were interested in was retribution against terrorists, and we only hit terrorist camps, terrorist facilities, terrorist bases. And from our point of view, that was it," he later told media persons at the venue. India's position was that "if Pakistan hits, we hit back, if it stops, we stop, so that the day they signaled that they would stop, India was willing to stop from the very start, and no one needed to persuade India to stop. "That's what the prime minister has also said. On the other hand, perhaps Pakistan needed persuasion, we don't know what the Americans may have said to Pakistan. If Pakistanis feel they stopped because Americans wanted them to, good for them, that's not a problem for us," he added. The delegation to five countries led by Tharoor was one of the seven multi-party delegations India dispatched to 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to highlight Pakistan's links to terrorism. Speaking about the Emergency imposed by the erstwhile Congress government 50 years ago, Tharoor said everyone is very clear that it was "a bad period in our history because of a lot of suspensions (of liberties)," and then prime minister Indira Gandhi herself called elections and gracefully accepted their outcome. "I think all of us should use this anniversary to re-dedicate ourselves to the Constitution, to the values of freedom, to the values that our founders fought for and established," he said, adding, "I hope everyone uses this 50th anniversary not to play political games and score political points, but rather to re-dedicate ourselves to those ideals..." On his recent Russia visit, Tharoor said it was an opportunity to touch base with his counterparts and meet his "old friend", Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "By and large our message (on Operation Sindoor) has been consistent. Fortunately the delegation sent by our government had already been there and met these people, so my task was not a difficult one to reinforce the message," he said. Russia has been India's old and trusted friend and it is always good to maintain these relationships, the Congress leader added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Wire
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Can Ram Guha Be Nervous and His Book Launches Jocular? For Sarthak Prakashan, the Answer is Yes
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories Can Ram Guha Be Nervous and His Book Launches Jocular? For Sarthak Prakashan, the Answer is Yes Sohini Chattopadhyay 4 minutes ago I have not seen a Guha book event punctuated with as many laughs as during the launch of India After Gandhi's Gujarati translation. Ramachandra Guha and others during the launch of the Gujarati translation of his book India After Gandhi. Photo by arrangement. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now 'This is the eighth Indian language this book has been translated into, and this one is the best,' said Ramachandra Guha at the launch of Gandhi Pachhinu Bharat by Sarthak Prakashan, the Gujarati translation of his magisterial work India After Gandhi. The translators are Urvish Kothari, well known on X over the past half decade for his satirical videos in Hindi, and a Gujarati journalist-columnist for 30 years, and the late Dilip Gohil, who worked as a copy editor with the Gujarati edition of India Today. Guha has a limited acquaintance with Gujarati (he understands it if spoken slowly, he said). But he articulated two reasons why the Gujarati translation was special for him: M.K. Gandhi, of whom he is possibly the best-known biographer, wrote in the Gujarati language. And second, he met his wife (the influential designer Sujatha Keshavan) in Ahmedabad forty-something years ago. I submit another reason for Guha's love for the Gujarati translation without being able to read or write in the language: I have not seen a Guha book event punctuated with as many laughs as I heard on the evening of May 18 at the packed auditorium of the Ahmedabad Management Association complex (one of architect Bimal Patel's early works). Ram Guha addresses the audience during the book launch. Photo by arrangement. Guha's talks and events are marked by few laughs, all of them delivered on Guha's cues because he is a superb public speaker – packed with substance, and well-chosen witty anecdotes. This is primarily because Guha mostly delivers talks and does few conversations, so to speak. Most interlocutors are in awe of his scholarship, and intrepid opinions. Not the Sarthak Prakashan lot. Kothari and his colleagues made references to Sholay and Deewar – likely, another first in a Guha book event – although not directed at him. 'I will now be Shashi Kapoor in Deewar,' said Kothari. 'He had said mere paas ma hai. I say, mere paas Kartikbhai hai. With him in charge, I don't have to care about whether the publication makes money or not. I just have fun.' Earlier, Kothari's colleague Dipak Soliya set the tone for the evening with a reference to Gabbar. He mimicked ' aao, aao ' in Gabbar's style, adding, 'Gabbar said it differently but I'm saying it with warmth and affection.' Sarthak Prakashan was somehow both wholly unfazed by Guha's aura, and entirely affectionate. Their irreverence, stemmed from their aversion for stage formalities, did not slip into disrespect. 'That's Saarthak's house style', said Kothari. Guha himself, laughing frequently during the proceedings, appeared delighted by the occasion. When it was his turn to speak, the final talk of the 100-odd minute programme, he said he would not speak in his bad Hindi as he had planned because he would not have the same effect on the audience as Kothari and his colleagues. Nervousness had reportedly got to him. Then he proceeded to speak in perfectly passable Hindi (certified by a Calcutta Bengali) for 90% of this 30-odd minute talk. He began with a well-chosen anecdote about speaking at the 93rd birthday celebration of the Kannada polymath Shivaram Karanth where Karanth, ecological scholar Madhav Gadgil and Guha were the invited speakers. After Karanth's speech, which was received with voluble delight, Gadgil, a Kannada speaker who had planned to speak in Kannada, decided to speak in Hindi. And Guha, who had initially decided to speak in Hindi, decided to speak in English. This evening, Guha said, had put him in a similar frame of nervousness. L to R: Kartik Shah, Urvish Kothari, Ram Guha, Prakash N. Shah and Dipak Soliya. Photo by arrangement. Guha's talks are always enjoyable – for his deep scholarship and his wit – but in Ahmedabad, he chose a larger than usual number of superb anecdotes for his talk, likely in appreciation of the tone set by Sarthak and gang. My favourite was the one he related about Acharya Kripalani, the last and most senior of M.K. Gandhi's associates who was alive when Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. Kripalani was the only one of her major critics whom Mrs Gandhi did not jail during the Emergency, but the man, then nearing 90 years of age, fell ill and was hospitalised in AIIMS, New Delhi, where a number of tubes were inserted into his frail form. One of his friends went to visit Kripalani in hospital, and put his hand on his forehead. Kripalani then opened his eyes and on being asked how he was feeling, replied, 'I have no constitution. All that is left are amendments.' 'This is the only quote in India After Gandhi that I could not find a credible source for,' Guha said, 'although I heard this story from more than one person'. Delighted, sustained laughter. Like much of the evening really, only this one probably rang longer than ever taking in the details of the superb anecdote. It made me think of how the book launch itself felt like a standup comedy show. A thoroughly footnoted standup show. With one notable exception. Sohini Chattopadhyay is a National Award-winning film critic and award-winning journalist. Her book The Day I Became a Runner: A Women's History of India Through the Lens of Sport was published by HarperCollins India in October 2023. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Full Text: India is Getting Re-Hyphenated With Pakistan Because Under Modi We're Democratically Regressing 'Narendra … Surrender': Rahul Gandhi in Swipe at Modi on Trump's Claims of Mediating Ceasefire Two Books Remind Us of the Importance of June 4, 2024 What Would Gandhi Do About The India-Pakistan Conflict Today? Gandhi's and Modi's Reflections on 'Sindoor' Are Poles Apart Profit and Sales Growth Slow Down as Compared to Last Year Amid Rising Cost and Trade Uncertainties 'It's a Huge Tragedy': In Visit to Poonch, Rahul Gandhi Meets Families Bereaved in Pak Artillery Shelling 'India's Foreign Policy Has Collapsed,' Says Rahul Gandhi Targeting Jaishankar Interview | 'National Leadership Will Decide on Alliance But UP Congress Is Focusing on All 403 Seats' About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
