Overview
- Shashi Tharoor said he admires Jawaharlal Nehru but is not an uncritical supporter, noting he cannot back all of Nehru’s policies.
- He credited Nehru with firmly entrenching democracy in India, calling many of his contributions worthy of the highest appreciation.
- Tharoor acknowledged valid criticisms over the 1962 defeat to China, saying some decisions by Nehru contributed to the setback.
- He argued it is unjustified to blame Nehru for every contemporary issue and described the Modi government as anti-Nehru rather than anti-democratic.
- He made the remarks at the Kerala Legislative Assembly International Book Festival in Thiruvananthapuram, where he also shared personal anecdotes about his early reading, a lost first novel, and college theatre with Mira Nair.