Now that India has fielded Shashi Tharoor as its choice for the post of UN Secretary General, it is regrettable that the fiercest opposition is coming from his own country. A section of Indian press and a group of small organisations seem determined to prove the decision wrong. In this age of Internet where any rogue statement by obscurest of people is available to audiences worldwide, this is going to send wrong signals. What matters significantly is that there is no opposition to his candidature from any other country. Even Pakistan has not opposed his nomination openly as yet. The UN Secretary General’s post is a prestigious office which no Indian has ever held. The myth that Tharoor’s election will undermine India’s prospects of a permanent Security Council seat has already been debunked by experts. The argument that a developing superpower should not field its candidate holds no ground when one considers that the likes of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair being named as potentials.With years of experience in the United Nations, Shashi has credentials that are hard to match. It should be a matter of pride for every Indian to add their bit to the cause.Land BruiserIt is open secret now that it is proximity of HD Kumaraswamy’s own 47-acre farmland to the prestigious Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor that motivated him to try and usurp control of the project. At a time when state governments are justifiably encouraging public-private partnerships in infrastructure projects, Karnataka CM’s attempt would be laughable if only its consequences were not so grave. A bustling, overgrown Bangalore desperately needs as much investment in infrastructure as it can. The project has already faced long, undue delays due to PILs filed by vested interests, although Supreme Court has ruled twice in its favour. That a forced legislation to usurp control of the project by the state will deal a severe blow to investor confidence, not just in Karnataka but also across India, is a separate point to ponder. The absurdity of it all is further reflected the way Kumaraswamy’s coalition partner BJP has raised swords against him by resisting the proposed legislation in original form and insisting upon reclaiming only the excess land. (The writer is a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha)
