PM Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture Served As Both Economic Outlook, Cultural Call To Action: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture served as both an economic outlook and a cultural call to action, urging the nation to be restless for progress.

Noting that Prime Minister Modi appealed for a 10-year national mission to restore pride in India's heritage, languages and knowledge systems, Tharoor said he wishes the PM had also acknowledged how Ramnath Goenka had used English to raise a voice for Indian nationalism.

"Attended PM Narendra Modi's Ramnath Goenka Lecture at the invitation of @IndianExpress last night. He spoke of India's 'constructive impatience' for development and strongly pushed for a post-colonial mindset," he said on X.

"On the whole, the PM's address served as both an economic outlook and a cultural call to action, urging the nation to be restless for progress. Glad to have been in the audience despite battling a bad cold and cough!" the Congress leader said.

Tharoor said the PM emphasised that India is "no longer just an 'emerging market" but an 'emerging model' for the world, noting its economic resilience. PM Modi said he’d been accused of being in 'election mode' all the time, but he was really in 'emotional mode' to redress the problems of the people'.

A significant part of the speech was dedicated to overturning Macaulay's 200-year legacy of 'slave mentality', Tharoor said.

"PM Modi appealed for a 10-year national mission to restore pride in India’s heritage, languages, and knowledge systems. I wish he had also acknowledged how Ramnath Goenka had used English to raise a voice for Indian nationalism!" the senior Congress leader said.

Tharoor's remarks on the PM's address come days after the Congress leader kicked up a row when he said that reducing veteran BJP leader L K Advani's long years of service to one episode, however significant, is unfair. He was reacting to criticism over his birthday greetings for Advani.

The Congress had distanced itself from his remarks and said Tharoor speaks for himself and the fact that he continues to do so as a CWC member reflects the party's democratic and liberal spirit.

Tharoor had earlier also said dynastic politics across the political spectrum poses a "grave threat" to Indian democracy and asserted that it is high time India traded "dynasty for meritocracy".

The BJP had latched on to Tharoor's remarks, calling it a "very insightful piece" on how Indian politics has become a family business.