Tharoor in last-minute hurry to counter false propaganda

Thiruvananthapuram: “Vadanam madhuram, vachanam madhuram, gamanam madhuram…,” 72-year-old Kanthi Kumar was rephrasing the song ‘Madhuraashtakam’ to describe UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor at a women’s conclave convened by All India Professionals’ Congress on Thursday. Kanthi Kumar, the grandson of Mannanth Padmanabhan, founder of Nair Service Society, was explaining to the group of women that none other than Tharoor was the ideal candidate for Thiruvananthapuram. A video of Tharoor’s parliamentary speeches was playing in the background.
Tharoor arrived around 12.30pm and began his address by explaining about his health and an unusual head gear as everyone inquired about his recent accident during the ‘thulabharam’ ritual. “Doctors said there is nothing to worry. Some told me I got an excuse to use a Vivekananda-style headgear. There were around six injuries when the iron rod and hook fell on the head and it required nine stitches. Luckily, there was no damage to brain or optic nerve,” Tharoor said.
Tharoor told the women gathering that the first thing a Congress government would do in power will be to introduce the women’s reservation bill. He spent much time to dispel the campaigns propagated by BJP that he had insulted Nair women. He said that it was not a new book as the BJP projects, but a fiction ‘The Great Indian Novel’ published in 1989. “The portion is a comment by a fictional character about an old social evil, which historians too vouch to have existed,” he said.
Tharoor was quizzed about the promises he made of high court bench, Barcelona twin city programme and Vizhinjam by the participants. Tharoor explained that he met three chief justices – Bannurmath, J Chelameswar and Manjula — but failed to get a support on the issue. On the Barcelona project, he said, “Despite Barcelona municipality passing a resolution, the Thiruvananthapuram corporation did nothing because it was introduced by a Congress man.”
Mini Nair, one of the participants, said that Congress was aligned to BJP ideology in issues like cow slaughter, Sabarimala and Ram mandir, which Tharoor denied vehemently. “In democracy, political representatives feel obliged to the beliefs and sentiments of the majority in the constituency. If a state where majority are against cow slaughter, the Congress will stand with the majority. But you won’t see Congress imposing it in a state like Kerala, Goa or the north east, where people don’t consider it as illegal. If you see the issue of Sabarimala as an issue of equality, there is no question about it, but a vast majority see it as an issue of sanctity,” Tharoor said.
On Thursday morning Tharoor covered the final lap at Neyyattinkara and Vattiyoorkavu in the evening. He acknowledged those waiting for his on the roadsides with broad smile and handshakes. At major points, the vehicle stopped and the candidate sought votes in a two-minute speech, promising to stay with Thiruvananthapruam through thick and thin.