Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that bouquets should not be used to welcome him when he travels across the state. Following his statement, the Central government had banned the use of bouquets to be presented to the Prime Minister during his domestic tours. Echoing Modi’s stand against the use of bouquets, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had then said that just like the PM, he has also been advocating against the use of bouquets.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, Tharoor on Thursday revealed what he would like to gift the Prime Minister if not a bouquet. “I would give Mr Modi ‘The Discovery of India’ by Jawaharlal Nehru,” he said.
Explaining why he thinks the book is an apt gift for him, Tharoor said: “I really think he should imbibe some of that larger more capacious vision of India that Nehru ji articulated.”
While banning the use of bouquets, the Modi government had said that the states can offer the Prime Minister a flower along with a Khadi handkerchief or a book to welcome him. “All states/UTs are requested to suitably sensitise all concerned to ensure strict compliance of the above instructions,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said in its advisory.
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Soon after, Shashi Tharoor had tweeted supporting the PM’s move and said: “Some minds think alike! I’ve been saying this for years in Thiruvananthapuram!”
“I support @narendramodi on this: let’s not massacre flowers for transient gratification, but give gifts that endure,” he had tweeted.
Advocating why bouquets should not be used, Modi had said that the life span of a bouquet is very short. “You receive it in your hand for a moment and then abandon it. But when you present a book, it becomes a part of the household, a part of the family. One can also use a ‘Khadi’ handkerchief to welcome people, and be a support to the innumerable underprivileged. The expenses are reduced as well, and the gift is well utilised too,” he had said.
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