Shashi Tharoor, Minister, live on Twitter

Manu Pubby
Posted: Wednesday, Jun 03, 2009 at 1141 hrs IST
Updated: Wednesday, Jun 03, 2009 at 1141 hrs IST

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New Delhi: • Good and constructive mtg with Law Minister on Kerala High Court, visits from expat Keralites, reception by Delhi Mal Assn.

• Quite a day: representation from National Students Union of India on Australia, Pak release of LeT chief, lots of visiting Ambassadors...

• First dinner by EAM for diplomatic corps. back on a beat i thought i’d left when i quit the UN. But better food here! spoke French after yrs.

• First meeting with MEA Minister SM Krishna, an eminent figure in Indian politics. I will be handling mainly Africa & Arab world

• We’ve taken it up at highest poss level, PM to PM. The Australians understand how concerned we are & hv promised to act

These are the latest “tweets” by new Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, the first Indian minister to have taken on to the new world of Twitter — a social networking tool where users share constant updates about their activities

Shashi Tharoor, Minister, live on Twitter through the internet.

Tharoor, who also has a bilingual website, has been twittering since he took oath. From updates on his meetings with the Prime Minister and talks with foreign representatives to his take on gay rights and experience of buying bandhgalas, Tharoor has been twittering to a growing fan club. With over 4,300 followers at last count, Tharoor also responds to questions.

“In a democracy like ours, accountability to voters is fundamental to who we are. The vast majority (of followers on twitter) are Indians and this is part of the whole process of making democracy more transparent,” Tharoor told The Indian Express.

When asked about the propriety of a Minister sharing details of his work on the internet, Tharoor said: “I will not be revealing any secrets. Everything I have said so far is purely in public knowledge. There are some things I cannot talk about. I won’t reveal secrets on twitter just as I will not reveal secrets on TV. It’s not the medium but the content that matters.” Tharoor says that even though it will be difficult to keep up, he will try to stick on to twittering during his tenure as minister.

The minister’s page on twitter.com also gives an insight to his personal life and opinions. For example, to a query on his take on Section 377 of the IPC that bans homosexuality, Tharoor says “personally,...

Comments

» Suggestions from Public

Posted by Asokan Eramangalath on 2009-10-28 12:17:11.97659+05:30
Can you please get the railway Ministry to introduce hand trolleys, the type we get in airports so that we need not walk carrying hand lugguage for almost a kilometer on platforms to reach our compartment.Thanks

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» Govt.Hospitals- Condition

Posted by Asokan Eramangalath on 2009-10-28 12:01:59.202138+05:30
I read your comments about Govt. Hospitals in Kerala in these days. I am a retired Senior Citizen of 79 years of age. When I was 15 years of age, ailing from Typhoid I was admitted in the Govt. Hospital in Ernakulam, the only place in those days for such patients. The General ward where I was admitted was clean with glazed tiles on walls and the service was also good. In the absence of medicines of today I was fully cured only by good nursing for two months. In contrast, recently I visited a â€˜pay wardâ€™ of the Indira Gandhi (Govt) Medical college in Aluva to visit my relation. In these modern times the rooms there were worst than a slum house. Govt. is callous, exhibiting their ignorance, corruption and poverty in making and managing hospitals for their Medical Colleges. Please, you should visit the Indira Gandhi Co-operative Mendical Coolege Hospital once and see for yourself and try to make the Govt work. They want to make such hospitals as referal centers.

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» You are Right Sir.

Posted by cherian varghese on 2009-10-04 16:49:30.900363+05:30
In India,Gandhiji is a politicanl Brand.Gandhi win where M.A.J.fails.Gandhi knows Indian soul,the indianology.my life is my practice,very difficult to think present hour.ur comment on Gandhi Jayathi is the need of the hour,which need "an experiments with trouths".political vagabound and gratindian circuss groups unble to understand this presents on Mind.keep it up.Mr.Minister,india still in the cockoon of fudal system.no profession,no democracy in practice,ur in a that circuss groups.I appriciate ur corrage to spell out what your inner-concious.Really this great nation need the people like u and Mr.Rahul Gandhi.this is a simple comment from a kerala Nashrani to new york Nair.

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» MY CARGO

Posted by Justus Defnil on 2009-10-04 10:28:20.605121+05:30
I totally agree with Sashi Tharoor on his opinion about holidays in India.I had send a commercial cargo to Kerala from Dubai on thursday and it is still lying at the ariport without clearance. If goverment can stop holidays including Sunday in operationally online business same like here in the UAE no holidays for operations especially in logistics, movement of goods internationally. It will help India's economy to grow fast.Due to log delays at the ariport I have to answer my customer such a way that clearance delayed due to holidays. They can moke at me.

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» on waisting time by politicians

Posted by marshal(malayalam story writer) on 2009-09-28 16:18:36.852309+05:30
Hon minister Dear shri.Sasi Tharoor,I am back at my home land Kerala for the last 5 years after 45 years of active life /stay outside kerala and rendition of 35 years of service in Indian Army. What I notice here in Kerala is that a lion's share of time of politicians - MPs/MLAs/Ministers - is spent on inauguration/garlanding/stone paving et all. Their most productive time is just waisted out in unproductive rituals and cheap popularity seeking activities. They seldom spend 5 hours at the office daily and leave to their IAS guys or BABOOS to carry on the governanace. And we see the thamaasha in the running og Government!!Some of them have no sense of humour also, which is another thing!!asooya muzhutha vargamaanu chilar!!how

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» i feel sad,make me happy

Posted by rajsripraveen on 2009-09-25 10:47:17.797362+05:30
yes minister,i do feel a great amount of glumness when i think of what th media and a certain class of indians have done by twisting ur already twisted words!but,i am one of those who voted for u, bkz i beleive in you,pls make me happy about the decision i took...

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» cattle controvesy

Posted by ngngnitish on 2009-09-21 02:59:14.768479+05:30
sir i know you are one of the clean character politition in indian politics but i give you a suggestion that try to keep yourself away from controversy because it makes your public image bad.try to concentrate on your work because new indian genration only want to see you working sincerely.we donot want your comments in newspaper from you about these silly things but only related to your work and please give due consideration toward chinese activities you cannot let them doing what they want to do in our terrotory.we should learn lessons from past.

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» cattle hungama

Posted by jasminekumar on 2009-09-19 13:47:41.237994+05:30
for god's sake wake up all 2 some sense of humor

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» A word of assurance

Posted by K. J. Mathew on 2009-09-18 10:33:35.955806+05:30
Dear Sri Tharoor,Please do forget about the storm in the tea cup. The educated new generation of Indians want you. Do not be discouraged by the derogatory comments made by some. India needs a new class of politicians who believe in righteousness. We are all with you. Do not be disappointed by rabblerousers.

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» you r right

Posted by Sonia on 2009-09-17 10:48:12.118687+05:30
Mr shashi,U r absoulutely right, only animals travel by economy class... but what i would like to say is that comman man who you call animals are the ones who elected you... so we all are animals. think before you speak,as tongue is mightier then the pen where you people are concerned. think before you speak.

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