Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has clarified his use of the word “drama” while referring to the devastating flash floods in Nepal, after his social media post drew criticism for allegedly being insensitive to the scale of the disaster.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP explained that he used the word in the sense of a situation involving intense and conflicting forces, rather than to suggest that the tragedy was theatrical or merely a spectacle.
Tharoor explains meaning Of ‘Drama’
Responding to the criticism on X, Tharoor said the word has more than one meaning and explained the context in which he had used it.
“For all those fulminating in outrage about my use of the word 'drama' in my first tweet from Nepal, the word does not only mean something theatrical. It is also defined as 'a state, situation or series of events involving intensely clashing forces',” he wrote.
He added that this was the meaning he had intended. However, Tharoor acknowledged that the wording could have been misunderstood.
“That's the sense in which I intended it. But I do regret the choice of a word that could be so easily misinterpreted,” he said.
What did Shashi Tharoor say in his original post?
Tharoor had posted about the Nepal floods after travelling to Kathmandu. In the post, he said he had left for the Nepalese capital the previous day without knowing about the destruction unfolding in the country's northern areas.
“Took off for Kathmandu yesterday, blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place in the hills and caused such catastrophic damage,” he wrote.
He went on to describe the flash floods in Rasuwa district near the Tibet border and the extensive destruction caused along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.
Tharoor said experts were examining whether climate change and/or an earthquake in Tibet could have contributed to a large section of a glacier breaking off and falling into the valley.
Nepal floods leave widespread destruction
The Congress leader said he learned about the severity of the disaster after arriving in Kathmandu, with reports at the time indicating that around 2,000 people or more could be missing.
He also highlighted the damage to Nepal's infrastructure. According to his post, at least 19 motorable bridges had been destroyed, approximately 40 kilometres of the Betrawati-Rasuwagadhi highway had been washed away and eight operational hydropower projects had suffered severe damage.
Tharoor also expressed support for India's relief efforts and said Nepal required assistance.
“I fully support the Indian government's immediate pledge of relief assistance. Nepal needs all the help it can get,” he wrote.
‘My heart goes out to the victims’: Tharoor
Tharoor also expressed concern for those affected by the floods, particularly Indian nationals who were in Nepal at the time.
“My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones, who include large numbers of Indian tourists, including a hundred performing the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. Prayers for the missing; may they be rescued soon,” he said.
Social media users questioned his choice of words
Despite the broader context of his post, the use of “drama” became the main focus of criticism online. Several users argued that the word was inappropriate when describing a deadly natural disaster.
One user wrote, “Was nature's fury a 'drama'? How can you be so insensitive in your choice of words? What good is knowing the dictionary if you don't know what to say when? Your 'sympathy' seems like the drama here!”
Another questioned whether the word was appropriate, writing, “Sir, you are Shakespeare of Indian English. Is the usage of the word DRAMA in the second sentence of the first para appropriate?”
Another said, "Fair point on the secondary meaning of drama. Still, in the middle of a tragedy with hundreds dead and missing, a less ambiguous word would have avoided the backlash entirely. Glad you clarified and expressed regret."
