| Font Size |
"There is no community in the country which can claim to be a majority. It is true that Hindus are majority but within the community there are caste, regional and linguistic differences. So within Hindu community also there are people with minority status and they experience it," he said.
He was speaking at the fifth annual lecture of National Minority Commission (NCM).
Tharoor gave several examples of diversity within a common regional or caste belief.
"Brahmins in Karnataka and West Bengal share the same regional belief but have distinct identities of their regions. They get along better with people of their own places and origin even though if the other person follows a different religion," he said.
Accepting that some minority communities do "suffer from greater disadvantages", Tharoor said, "It will be wrong to generalise anything about India as there are 22 languages, 22,000 dialects and 85 political parties in our country...Our nationalism is not based on language, geography, ethnicity. It is the nationalism of an idea of living in harmony with diverse views."
The former Minister of State for External Affairs said, "We all have different point of views and policies and we all respect it. From that point of view we all are minorities."
Replying to question over incidents of communal and ethnic clashes in the country, he said the Indian identity of citizens should matter the most.
"There are inter-communal clashes. Sometime it happens between two minority communities, which has happened in Assam. Sometime the majority community attacks the minorities, which happened in Gujarat, but at the end we all have to survive together," he said.
NCM Chairperson Wajahat Habibullah said the motive of the lecture was to spread a positive message about India.
IF OUR POLITICIANS ARE TALKING ABOUT 'SECULARISM" WHERE IS THE QUESTION OF 'MINORITY' OR 'MAJORITY' OR SOMETHING TO DIVIDE THE PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF ETHICITY. THIS SORT OF DIVISIONARY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES CREATED TO DERIVE POLITICAL ADVANTAGE AND VOTE BANK POLITICS. BUT NOTHING MORE THAN THAT.
please place your enlighted views before your party forum and convince them of your high opinion - ultimately everyone will realise there is no such religion as 'hindu' which is also a 'notional' but it is our way of life as there is no community can command majority
foot and mouth disease in congress is becoming endemic with in the party. If there is not majority then who are the minorities and why idiots in congress clamour for minority quota. rmemeber 9% by Khursheed. And IE in chief is this really a news or worth putting as headline. Shame does not come easy to Shekhar Gupta. But then he has his masters to appease.
It seems that now former Union Minister Mr Shashi Tharoor has once again focused his vision in regard to the issue of majority that no Indian community can claim majority status . Really India is a secular and people of different religions , caste , breed live in country and give one indication in the Global that India is One and have one concept first we are Indians and then we belong to any caste , breed or religion .
Mr. Shashi Tharoor can say anything because India is a free democracy. Can anybody say he will again contest for next Parliament next time OR Soniaji repeat mistake
Shashi Tharoor is intellectually dishonest. The Hindus are a majority - 81% in India like the Christians are in the US. All communities are internally disaggregated but you can not write them off either. Tharoor should have remained in the UN where such intellectual gyrations will pay off.
If there is no majority class in India, it means by implication, there are no minorities also. So, why not you advise your party to abolish forthwith 'Minorities Commission' and repeal all minority quota legislation. With this kind of quixotic intelligence you aspired to become U N Secretary General! Thank God, you were kicked out.
This guy is confused and crafty......all his facts are dubious. He is merely trying to please Sonia's congress and hoping for muslim and christan votes in Kerala.
How stupid is his comment? This guy wanted to be foreign minister of India? I guess, in the Congress Party anything is possible. Honestly,who cares what Tharoor thinks?
Mr. Sivasankar you have your facts wrong. All major religions in India have their own marriage and succession laws--Christians, Muslims, Hindus and now Sikhs. For atheists like me there is a non-denominational, "Law of Civil Marriage" Your facts on Assamese immigration are also wrong. Please check on the web. Your bigotry is a result of your ignorance
Dear Oberoi, Where do you live, Shivsankar is correct. It is vote bank politics to boost conversion. Every tax payer knows "Hindu Undivided family" (HUL) has to pay more tax and in Tamilnadu minority students get financial benefit. Uniform civil code means NOT JUST MARRIAGE. In Assam Congi govt gave ration card to illegal immigrants to gather votes, - it happened 5 years before. Open your eyes and ears.
If there is no majority, there cannot be any minority too! So, all are equal. That's great. May be some Holy Cows are more equal......?!
India is a muslim majority state. There is nothing called Hindu. There are SCs, STs, OBCs.....where is the Hindu? Shame on us. Shame on this pathetic chap who,after being kicked out of UN, has come to roost in India, because It is India, and in particular the Indian politics, which is the last refuge of all the scoundrels, this loser included!!!!!!
It is vote bank politics of appeasement ( Examples Shah banoo case ,Muslim reservation before UP election, which were the work of Congress the party of Tharoor ) which adds to the insecurity. Allowing one religion to have its own Laws, while rest all follow common law creates a great divide. Non implementation of agreement (Assam Foreigner issue )is the cause for recent problem in Assam. Congress which has ruled this country for more than 60 years is the main culprit in not allowing the country to integrate.
