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Shashi Tharoor on the 'Human Face' of Diplomacy

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor attended the Consular Day 2026 celebrations as the Chief Guest, where he highlighted the vital role played by consular officers in bridging the gap between governments and citizens. Addressing the gathering in Delhi, Tharoor said on Friday, "Consular work affirms a simple but powerful idea: that behind every passport is a person, behind every application is a story, and behind every request is an expectation of fairness, dignity, and consideration. To respond to these with professionalism and humanity is not merely a function of a state. It is a reflection of its values, and those are the values that all of you as honorary consuls represent."

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"In a world that can often appear increasingly fragmented by distance and by differences, such work serves as a reminder that cooperation is not an abstract aspiration but a lived practice carried forward through countless acts of service, often unnoticed, but never unimportant. And perhaps that's what gives your work its distinctive significance", he added.

In a post on X, Tharoor highlighted how consular work "gives diplomacy its most human face", adding, "Honoured to be Chief Guest at Consular Day 2026 & the award ceremony in New Delhi, organised by the Honorary Consular Corps Diplomatique India, a fitting tribute to the quiet yet indispensable work of consular services that connect states to people and give diplomacy its most human face."

On Rupee's Fall

Tharoor also criticised the fall of the rupee, which has reached an exchange rate of Rs 93.73 per dollar, and compared it to how there was a similar situation during the UPA-led era which saw a steep fall too due to 'international pressures'. "I think the government should at least have the grace to withdraw its earlier claims that the decline of the rupee under the UPA government was somehow a fault of the Prime Minister. If this decline is because of international forces beyond our government's control, then I think that places in perspective what happened during our time as well. So I think the rupee is obviously subject to a great deal of volatility these days. So we are not doing well...So I think the government should also have the grace to acknowledge that the earlier criticisms of the UPA on this call were certainly not warranted," Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, while speaking to the reporters, said.

India's Role in West Asia Conflict

On the West Asia conflict, Congress MP underscored how the problems of oil and gas supply has become a "serious" worldwide issue, and that India should ideally be part of ending the conflict. He said, "This crisis is affecting us, it's affecting many other countries in the region and beyond because now as oil prices go up and gas supplies go down, you're looking at problems facing everybody...This is a serious issue. I certainly think that we should be part of and ideally we should lead an international effort to bring this war to an end. There are many countries that will join us. No one wants to see this war continue. It's hurting a lot of us who have nothing to do with this conflict. And I think the time has come now to get both sides to climb down from their positions. They need our help. They need our encouragement and that of other countries. I hope we will play our part..." (ANI)