'American Dream A Mirage': Shashi Tharoor Speaks On 'Great Indian Migration' At Ideas Of India

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor addressed the ongoing issue of deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks on 'Great Indian Migration' at ABP Ideas of India.

Source : ABP Live

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday spoke about the ongoing issue of deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US saying migration should not come at the cost of dignity in life and death. Addressing ABP Network's Ideas of India Summit, the former Indian diplomat also condemned the handcuffing and shackling of Indian immigrants sending them like criminals rather than regular passengers. 

In his address, Tharoor emphasised the need to create more incentives for people to stay in the country for better employment opportunities and standard of living rather than migrating to other countries. 

Calling the American dream a "mirage", Tharoor said, "India should not become a country where people feel compelled to leave but empowered to stay." 

The Success Stories

Touching on the origins of migration Tharoor said the movement of people had been driven by historical forces, economic imperatives and sheer survival. "Under British rule, nearly 200 million Indians were sent abroad as indentured labourers between 1834 and 1917...they built Singapore, they created so many foreign countries," he said. 

While he hailed technical exodus providing examples of successful Indians like Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella, Tharoor said politics and migration face unprecedented scrutiny in the era of rising wars. Reflecting upon his career as a diplomat with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Thiruvananthapuram MP underscored the importance of the dignity of migrants. 

From the IT engineers at Silicon Valley to cab drivers navigating the streets of Toronto, the global economy thrives on migration, he said. 

Need To Stay Back

He called for the need to create more infrastructure for the citizens of the country to stay back. "India's growth story remains a paradox," Tharoor said. Giving the example of Punjab, he said while the state is considered the "bread basket of the country as it feeds a nation, yet its youths are leaving in droves." "The lure of foreign shores is not merely about ambition but often about survival," he said attributing rising unemployment, less return on agricultural reforms and insidious drug problems as the main factors for migration. 

Speaking about the deaths of illegal migrants where the families often do not receive the body, Tharoor stressed: "Migration should not come at the cost of dignity in life or in death." 

He also delved into what people find when they get there. "The American Dream once seen as the golden ticket is increasingly a mirage," he said, adding that many live in fear of deportation and struggling to integrate with society which at times, views them with suspicion.  

Deporation Is Legal But The Manner Of It May Not

Tharoor made a point by saying that every sovereign nation has the right to enforce its immigration laws and uphold the integrity of its borders. Terming the recent action by Donald Trump's administration in the US to deport illegal immigrants to be "well within its legal authority", Tharoor objected to how it is being conducted. 

He condemned the deportation of Indians in a military aircraft with handcuffs and shackles as a "reminiscent of criminal extradition rather than an immigrant enforcement measure."

The Congress MP called to look beyond headlines to understand what is fueling this wave of irregular migration, adding that migration from Punjab and Gujarat is not merely driven by need but also aspiration.

Tharoor said that while Indians should respect the laws of other countries falure to comply should not result in dehumanisation.