Shashi Tharoor gives life lesson to a student who asked him to teach a new word
Whenever we think of Shashi Tharoor, we are immediately reminded of his exemplary speeches. The Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram has left us scratching our heads with his ‘not so regular’ exotic vocabulary and there is indeed lots to learn from this politician. Probably he reads dictionaries more often than we think, right? Well, if that is what you think, let me tell you what has led to this author of 18 books becoming the most sought after orator in the country.
It appears, the Congress MP was at a college event when a student asked him to give them a word of the day from his vocabulary, reports IE. The former diplomat was quick to respond to the pupil’s question. He took to social media to share his response and that’s a lesson all of us should learn.
My reply to a student who asked me to give him a new word in view of my reputation as a fount of exotic vocabulary: pic.twitter.com/I6mr9DOX6m
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 11, 2019
In the video Shashi says:
“I’ll give you a very simple and very old word. Read. That’s the only way I acquired my vocabulary. People think that I am some sort of nut case who studies the dictionary all day long. I have barely opened a dictionary in my life, but I have read extensively. And if you read widely, you read extensively and you come across the same word in their different contexts, in three different books, you will understand the meaning and the usage very quickly.”
He went on to say:
“The reason I was like that is, of course, I had some advantages over all of you. I have lived in an India without television, without computers, without Nintendo, without PlayStation, without mobile phones. And I was an asthmatic child so I was very often confined to bed unable to breathe.
All I had was books, books were my escape, books were my education. And because I read and I read above my age-level, anything I get my hands on. I developed the kind of mind that God has now blessed me with and I acquired the vocabulary that comes with it. So my only advice to all of you is read, read and read.”
“The more you read the better your vocabulary will be,” Tharoor adds.
Twitter was in awe of the MP's advice to the student and added that the younger generation should follow the advice and read more.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
