Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor had mocked the North Eastern people and their traditions when he had tried to attack PM Modi. Tharoor’s remark “I ask you, why does our prime minister wear all sorts of outlandish headgear wherever he goes around the country or around the world? Why does he always refuse to wear a Muslim skull cap?” He went on to add, “You see him in Naga headgear with feathers. You have seen him in various kinds of extraordinary outfits. But why he still always says no to one?” His statements laid bare the sentiments of the Congress leaders and how they had always treated the North-Eastern region as a separate entity which had little ties with the rest of India. The step-motherly treatment meted out to states such as Nagaland, Manipur and other states of that region have led to the slack in their growth under the Congress rule. His attempt to play the favourite card of Hindu-Muslim divide however did not work this time, as the insult of Naga community and their attires took precedence over his attempts.
BJP leaders, especially from the North-Eastern states, attacked Shashi Tharoor for his derogatory remarks made towards the Naga tribal communities, as it was also an insult towards the customs of other tribal communities. Union Home Minister Kiren Rijiju demanded an apology from the Congress party for the insult meted out from Shashi Tharoor. Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh too blasted Tharoor for his comments and went on to mention that his statements were a result of the ‘Congress’ mindset’ with which it had “treated Northeast with disdain for 70 yrs (sic).” Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore called the remark by Tharoor as one which exposes the thought process of Congress. He said, “This condescension & arrogance towards the people of India have become hallmarks of @INCIndia.” Even the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio yesterday demanded an apology from Shashi Tharoor for his comments, the Nagaland CM could not contain himself when he said, and “We (Nagas) have rich heritage and vibrant culture. We are proud of our history and traditions. The Naga headgear is renowned and gifted with honour, definitely not outlandish.” elaborating further he added, “Every Indian is proud of the rich diversity. This diversity is our pride and our strength and mutual respect makes India a great nation, He (Tharoor) must apologize and withdraw statements that hurt others’ sentiments,”
It is pitiable how the derogatory comment from Shashi Tharoor on Naga headgear had come while addressing a seminar on “Standing up to hatred, violence and intolerance in contemporary India” in Thiruvananthapuram. Several of the statements made by Tharoor in his address seemed to be an attack on PM Modi for not wearing a skullcap rather than how to stop hatred. Congress and its politics thrives on dividing people and Shashi Tharoor seems to be no different than the other leaders from the party who have divided and ruled the nation by trying to keep people from seeing through their game. Minority appeasement is their favourite card and nobody can stop them from playing it but the least they can do is not insult the communities and their traditions.
For the first time since India’s independence, the North-Eastern states are growing at a pace that is consistent with that of the rest of India. All thanks to BJP and its unbiased attitude towards the region, the roads are being made at an unprecedented rate. The railway network too is undergoing a massive upgrade and is making the region have an increased connectivity. Local tourism and business is being advertised to make one of the most beautiful parts of the country accessible to all. Withdrawal of the AFSPA from Meghalaya and also from the majority of Arunachal Pradesh was done by the central government to give a boost to the general population of the country. BJP’s efforts will definitely help them in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the long run. Congress and its leaders with these types of comments are making the job of BJP easier while they serve the dual purpose of hurting the Congress.