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Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor

Writing for PS since 2002
200 commentaries
1 videos & podcasts

Shashi Tharoor, a former UN under-secretary-general and former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, is an MP for the Indian National Congress and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha for a fourth successive term, representing Thiruvananthapuram. He is the author, most recently, of Ambedkar: A Life (Aleph Book Company, 2022).

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  1. Islam on Trial in India
    tharoor199_ Sonu MehtaHindustan Times via Getty Images_shahieidgah Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

    Islam on Trial in India

    Jan 31, 2025 Shashi Tharoor warns that efforts to replace centuries-old mosques with Hindu temples could trigger communal violence.

  2. The Indians Dividing MAGA
    tharoor198_AnadoluGettyImages_kash_patel_maga Anadolu/Getty Images

    The Indians Dividing MAGA

    Jan 2, 2025 Shashi Tharoor shows how one immigrant group became central to the “civil war” within Donald Trump’s base.

  3. Why Are So Many Indians Fleeing to America?
    Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    Why Are So Many Indians Fleeing to America?

    Dec 10, 2024 Shashi Tharoor points out that even middle-class families increasingly see no future in their home country.

  4. India’s Troubled Truce with China
    tharoor196_Yawar NazirGetty Images_ladakh Yawar Nazir/Getty Images

    India’s Troubled Truce with China

    Nov 13, 2024 Shashi Tharoor fears that the recent agreement ending the military standoff in Ladakh will not bring the expected benefits.

  5. Why Must Indians Vote So Often?
    tharoor195_ Idrees AbbasSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_elections india Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Why Must Indians Vote So Often?

    Oct 16, 2024 Shashi Tharoor argues that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal to hold all elections on the same day is a non-starter.

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  1. palacio166_Andrew HarnikGettyImages_modi_arriving Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    India Has Arrived

    Ana Palacio charts the country’s transition from passive observer to active shaper of international affairs.
  2. mottley8_CHEWY LINAFP via Getty Images_islandclimatechange Chewy Lin/AFP via Getty Images

    Climate Action Demands Global Fraternity

    Mia Amor Mottley argues that human solidarity must underpin scientific, technological, financial, and diplomatic measures.
  3. mueller57_Michael KappelerPoolGettyImages_merz_weidel_debate Michael Kappeler/Pool/Getty Images

    Normalizing the Normalization of the Far Right

    Jan-Werner Mueller

    History and social science research show that voters take their cues from elites. When politicians who are seen as mainstream treat an extremist far-right party as normal, public opinion will tend to follow; and once such normalization has happened, as in Europe today, it is virtually impossible to undo.

    explores the most common justifications that politicians offer for working with anti-democratic forces.
  4. haass177_Montinique MonroeGetty Images_trumpoil Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

    Tackling Climate Change in the Age of Trump

    Richard Haass & Carolyn Kissane

    Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from the Paris climate agreement, rescinded emissions-reduction targets, and ended climate-related initiatives. But a range of potential initiatives that are consistent with the Trump administration’s priorities could still slow climate change.

    argue that reconciling what is desirable with what is feasible requires a new approach.
  5. benami222_Dia ImagesGettyImages_al-sharaa_erdogan Dia Images/Getty Images

    The Fight for Syria

    Shlomo Ben-Ami worries that Israel and Turkey, with their clashing ambitions, could undermine the country’s stability.
  6. wei68_EITAN ABRAMOVICHAFP via Getty Image_mercosureudeal Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images

    How to Counter Trump's Tariffs Productively?

    Shang-Jin Wei proposes steps that allies and rivals alike can take to mitigate the effects of American trade policies.
  7. ghosh85_NOAH SEELAMAFP via Getty Images_indiaaadhaar Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images

    Weaponizing Data Against Democracy

    Jayati Ghosh explains why and how authoritarian leaders like Narendra Modi hide or manipulate official figures.
  8. james227_Central PressGettyImages_neville_chamberlain_munich_pact Central Press/Getty Images

    Alternatives to Trump’s Russia Appeasement

    Harold James explains how France and Britain can guarantee Ukraine’s security now that America has effectively surrendered.
  9. op_malmendier1_ INA FASSBENDERAFP via Getty Images_germanyrailway Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

    Germany at a Crossroads

    Ulrike Malmendier, et al. urge policymakers to pursue bold structural reforms, rather than clinging to an outdated growth model.

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