Tharoor Backs PM Modi’s Push to Overturn Macaulay Legacy, Says Message Was Powerful

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, describing it as a powerful call to shed colonial-era mindsets and restore national pride. Despite battling a severe cold and cough, Tharoor attended the event organised by the Indian Express in the capital and later took to social media platform X to commend the Prime Minister’s vision. He highlighted Modi’s appeal for a decade-long national mission to overcome what the PM termed the “slave mentality” imposed by British educator Thomas Babington Macaulay two centuries ago.

In his speech, Modi urged citizens to take collective resolve over the next ten years to liberate India from lingering colonial influences, particularly in education, language, and cultural outlook. He emphasised pride in India’s heritage, indigenous knowledge systems, and linguistic diversity. Tharoor quoted the Prime Minister’s assertion that the country must become “restless for progress” and noted Modi’s framing of India as an emerging global model, citing the nation’s economic resilience and growing international influence. The Congress leader also shared Modi’s light-hearted response to critics who accuse him of being perpetually in “election mode”, explaining that he was instead driven by an “emotional mode” to solve people’s problems.

The Prime Minister’s remarks came days after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, secured a resounding victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, winning 202 of 243 seats. In contrast, the Congress managed only six seats out of the 61 it contested, marking another significant electoral setback for the opposition party. Tharoor’s public appreciation of Modi’s speech is likely to reignite internal party debates, as the Thiruvananthapuram MP has previously faced criticism from Congress colleagues for praising the Prime Minister on issues ranging from foreign policy to personal dynamism.

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Known for his independent streak, Tharoor has often found himself at odds with the party line when acknowledging achievements of the Modi government. His presence at the lecture and subsequent endorsement underscore a rare moment of cross-aisle appreciation in an otherwise polarised political landscape, even as Congress grapples with successive electoral defeats and questions over leadership and strategy.

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