New Delhi: Speaking before a house full of Delhi’s literati, Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor accused the RSS of rejecting the Constitution explicitly in the past. Tharoor was in discussion with senior journalist Vir Sanghvi on the former’s latest book Our Living Constitution.
“They [the RSS] said they were not prepared to honour it, they didn’t show it any respect. It’s a relatively new phenomenon, where the RSS has explicitly and proudly endorsed the Constitution,” said Tharoor.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP was part of an event to honour the mastery of the ‘invisible artists’ as The Oxford Bookstore announced the longlist of contenders for their 11th Book Cover Prize at The Park. It was a wholesome celebration of art and artists of all formats, even the political kind.
The discussion on Tharoor’s book, which followed the longlist announcement, offered insights into India’s foundational document amid evolving political landscapes. The talk blended constitutional analysis with contemporary debates, drawing a diverse audience including artists, authors, law professors, students and art curators.
The hall listened intently as Tharoor explored the Constitution’s adaptability. Sanghvi prompted reflections on universal franchise, the current political discourse, and the making and trajectory of our democracy.
The art of designing covers
The award is a first-of-its-kind recognition of the creative labour that goes into designing book covers.
Museum curator Alka Pande, artist Samar Jodha, and Tharoor announced the longlist. It featured names such as Supriyo Chakraborty, who designed the cover for Raja Chakraborty’s 65 Ways to Talk and Forget and Ahlawat Gunjan, who worked on Manu Pillai’s Gods, Guns and Missionaries. Designers who worked on works of translation were also in the list, including Paramita Brahmachari, who worked on Once Upon the Queens by Satabdi Das, translated by Nadia Imam.
“What I am really happy about is that the patron Priti Paul had the vision to do an award for the invisible artist, often it’s the book cover that draws the reader to see what the book is about,” said museum curator Alka Pande, who was the Jury chair.
For Pande, a book cover designer works behind the scenes much like a film producer. “Everyone knows the actors, the director, but how many people really know who had the vision to produce the film? The book cover designer is the silent man who gives the book its soul,” she added.
Tharoor called it an occasion to reflect not only on books as vessels of ideas, but on the often overlooked artistry. Appreciating the age-old adage of not judging a book by its cover, he said: “In reality, the cover is where curiosity is first turned.”
Chosen from about 250 entries, 28 book covers were in the running for the award. Jodha, a prominent artist himself, who is also on the jury for the award, wondered at the amount of time and thought that goes into the designs.
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Of barbers and razors
The discussion between Tharoor and Sanghvi began with the history and making of the Constitution. It covered the intent of the makers, initial criticisms of the Constitution, contemporary issues of our democracy, and everything in between.
The talk affirmed the Constitution’s living nature, the continuing changes that may be tested by politics, yet remain enduring. Tharoor’s blend of history, critique, and foresight highlighted the Constitution’s role in fostering unity amid diversity.
Rashmi, one of the attendees who had come with her daughter, said that she found the discussion insightful and diverse. “Even though I don’t agree with everything that was said, it’s food for thought,” she said.
Tharoor called Deendayal Upadhyaya “the most intelligent and intellectually engaging of the entire Sanghi ideologue lot”. He discussed Upadhyaya’s concept of ‘Chiti’, described as a nation’s enduring essence.
He cited Upadhyaya’s example of a village barber who uses his grandfather’s razor. Even though the blade, the handle, and all other parts are replaced over the years, it remains his ‘grandfather’s razor’ because it contains his grandfather’s ‘essence’. This, to Tharoor, illustrated continuity in cultural and national character despite shifts in political tides.
Sanghvi also raised the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act and Tharoor’s objections to it.
“To my mind, applying any religious test to citizenship becomes violative of not just the spirit of the Constitution but its letter as well. I have very little doubt that at some point in the future, it will indeed be invalidated on this very ground,” said the Congress MP.
Rumours of Tharoor joining the BJP have circulated periodically, fueled by his praise for PM Modi’s “energy and dynamism” in articles on Operation Sindoor. And though Tharoor has dismissed the rumours on many occasions, Sanghvi, ever the journalist, took the opportunity and brought up the topic.
“So contrary to what they keep telling us in the papers, you’re clearly not joining the BJP?”
Tharoor replied with a sharp quip: “I think the BJP has known that for sometime.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)