Chief Minister Oommen Chandy released Pax Indica: India and the World of the 21st Century , the new book by Shashi Tharoor, MP, here on Monday.
In a rather hurried introduction, Mr. Tharoor welcomed the large turnout for the release of a book on foreign policy-making, an indicator, he said, of the growing interest in the field.
In his welcome address, the former Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan termed the book “a second coming” for the author who had a noticeable gap before the publication of his 13th book.
He spoke of the need to draw inextricable links between foreign policy-making and the impact it had on domestic issues of a nation. The common underlying theme of the conversation during and after the ceremony was a firm grasp of this understanding among the common man for whom the realm of international relations had largely appeared irrelevant and distant.
“Mr. Tharoor has always been a step ahead in terms of making speeches and in his flair for writing; the only time I’ve seen him uncomfortable is when he came to the city as a candidate and had to make his speeches in Malayalam,” said Mr. Chandy, lauding the MP for succeeding in the political arena too.
Mr. Chandy said the government needed to maintain friendly relations with other countries but uphold national interests foremost. He appreciated the Union government’s support in taking a strong stand on the Italian marines’ issue.
The former Foreign Secretary K.P.S. Menon received the book. He praised Mr. Tharoor for his flair and ease in language construction, a talent conveyed without ever sounding contrived.
Mr. Sreenivasan, who moderated the discussion that followed, called the book a “comprehensive analysis” and a “textbook for anyone who wants to understand the making of foreign policy and present stance the government is taking.”
The launch was organised by Penguin Books in collaboration with the Kerala International Centre.
