Shashi Tharoor: Many now claim right to be offended

Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor on Monday said there is a growing spirit of "competitive intolerance" in the country.

Inaugurating the New Delhi World Book Fair, Tharoor said, "To my mind, one of the most worrying developments of our culture in the last two years has been the growth of the spirit of competitive intolerance."

He said more and more groups now "claim the right to be offended" by something in a book, in a film or in a work of art.

Without referring to any particular incident of public intolerance Tharoor said, "We need to tell them that that if they are offended, if they disagree, they have the right to object, protest, argue and engage, instead of seeking the right to forbid, to ban and to deny others the opportunity to conclude for themselves."

Tharoor also pointed out that the importance of the book fairs in a democracy is that they manifest a liberal democratic and secular society that we are proud of in which competing ideologies, competing freedoms and expressions have an opportunity to present themselves for the discerning members of the public.

He said each of us must be able to always have the consciousness "that we bring to each book our own sensibility, spirit and sense of judgement.

The New Delhi World Book Fair -2013 opened with the participation with 25 countries, four international organisations and a number of new attractions for the visitors at Pragati Maidan in the capital.

The book fair was declared open by Shashi Tharoor in the presence of Chairman, Indian Council for Cultural relations Karan Singh and Chairperson NBT A Sethumadhavan. Francois Richier, Ambassador of France to India was the guest of honour at the function.

Starting this year, the World Book Fair — which was held once in two years — will be an annual affair.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Take a lesson from Sachin Tendulkar's commitment: Javed Miandad to Pak team

RailGate: CBI raids Mahesh Kumar hideouts, seizes valuables removed from premises

Imran Khan injured after fall from forklift at rally, rushed to Lahore hospital

Deadlock on, Sonia Gandhi reaches out to Sushma Swaraj