How Shashi Tharoor promotes himself while condoling the death of famous people

Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is quite often complimented for his way with words. He takes pride his English vocabulary. However, through his tweets, another interesting pattern has also emerged through the years. He likes to promote himself and throw names when he condoles death of famous people.

Saddened to hear that my senior schoolmate at Mumbai’s CampionSchool, Rishi Kapoor, whom i competed with in “inter-class dramatics” in 1967-68, has gone to a better world. From the romantic hero of “Bobby”to the mature character actor of his last films, he evolved remarkably. RIP pic.twitter.com/9eyzE0qP38

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 30, 2020

While condoling Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor’s death, Tharoor pointed out how Kapoor was his senior in Mumbai’s Champion school where he had studied as well. Tharoor also studied in St Stephens and he was President of St Stephens Students Union. How do we know it? Well, he pointed it out while condoling former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s demise in August 2019.

Deeply saddened by the tragic passing of my friend&DelhiUniv senior @arunjaitley⁩. We first met when he was at DUSU& I was President of StStephen’sCollegeUnion. Despite political differences we enjoyed a healthy mutual respect&debated his Budget often in LS. A great loss4India pic.twitter.com/RzxO1V6NTV

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 24, 2019

He likes to talk about his own achievements when he is shocked and saddened over someone’s demise. Here is him condoling former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s death in August 2019.

Shocked & saddened by this news. I last saw Sushmaji at @PMOIndia‘s swearing-in two months ago. She was a brilliant speaker in Hindi, a genuine “people’s person” in Government &I was proud of our excellent relationship when I chaired the External Affairs Committee. Om Shanti… https://t.co/1Q2kpUSj3x

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 6, 2019

Saddened by the passing of DP Tripathi who became a good friend during our years together in Parliament’s Standing Committee on External Affairs. Highly literate, cultured & well-spoken, Tripathi Sahib engaged with me on books & ideas. I miss him greatly. https://t.co/DKbitzVqcM

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 3, 2020

And how he was also at the United Nations.

Saddened by the passing of @Asma_Jahangir. Though we had not been in touch for some years, i knew her during my @UN days &found her admirably courageous&principled, as well as a marvellously likeable human being. May her convictions&principles live on. https://t.co/A08Sh53s7E

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 11, 2018

Saddened by death of #ElieWiesel, whom I knew well in my @UN days&admired greatly: https://t.co/6GINfQPV9N We worked together on many issues

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 3, 2016

Tharoor took the passing of former Foreign Secretary to let people know how he had once transitioned from Palakkad to Thiruvananthapuram.

Saddened by the passing of former ForeignSecretary KPS Menon, who like me transitioned from Palakkad to Thiruvananthapuram via international service! My condolences to his son @ShivshankaMenon, an outstanding FS himself:https://t.co/qkYpw81VXQ &https://t.co/UmGbUqKyxP

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 29, 2019

And while Shashi Tharoor playing a cameo in Andaz Apna Apna may be an old running Internet meme, did you know he acted some film called ‘Oliver!’ in 1968? Well, he let us know when adman Alyque Padamsee passed away.

Saddened by the passing of Alyque Padamsee, creative guru, theatre personality& adman extraordinaire. He directed me in “Oliver!”in 1968. I remember him telling a co-actor, “stay still! don’t run around like a chicken with its head cut off.” First time i’d heard the expression!

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 17, 2018

And some more…

Saddened to hear of the passing of NRI businessman Adv. C K Menon. He had been active in philanthropic causes & supported NonResident Keralites as Norka Roots vice chairman. Had given him an award myself in 2009 https://t.co/OKTNY0YQjz

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 2, 2019

I am deeply saddened by the death of Swamy Sathyaprakasha Jnana Thapaswi, President of Santhigiri Ashram. In my decade long association with the Ashram, he embodied the salient virtues of spirituality enshrined in the teaching of Brahmashree Karunakara Guru, the Ashram’s founder. pic.twitter.com/q0dH7rw50x

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 3, 2019

A bit of self promotion of books never hurt.

In Thiruvananthapuram this weekend, when I paid a condolence visit to the home of the late @cpimspeak leader BS Rajeev, his widow told me emotionally that he possessed, &had read, all my books. If only politics could always be like that: people trying to understand each other…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 14, 2019

Tharoor also likes to share post-condolence pictures with his fans.

As I walked past after a condolence visit nearby, five excited young Technopark employees rushed out of the house they share and demanded selfies. They were quite composed in this group pic though! pic.twitter.com/I54givYlnu

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 22, 2019

And many, many more.