NEW DELHI, Aug 11: The French government has chosen the senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for conferring him France’s highest civilian award “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur” for his writings and speeches.
The French Ambassador in New Delhi Emmanuel Lenain has written to Tharoor informing him about the prestigious award.
“As one who cherishes our relations with France, loves the language and admires the culture, I am honoured to be recognized in this way. My gratitude & appreciation to those who have seen fit to award me this distinction,” Tharoor said in response to a tweet congratulating him on the award.
A host of Congress leaders as well as Congress’s Kerala unit and the state’s Youth Congress unit congratulated the MP from Thiruvananthapuram on the prestigious honour.
Several Congress leaders Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he is in a state of “absolute euphoria” while coming to know that Tharoor is being conferred upon the highest civilian honour of France for his “extraordinary erudition and penetrative knowledge.”
Responding to Mr Chowdhury on Twitter, Tharoor said, “Thanks a lot. Recognition is always welcome, and your appreciation makes it all the more valuable.” Congress leaders T S Singhdeo, Pradyut Bordoloi, Mohammad Jawaid, Praveen Chakravarty, and Indian Union Muslim League M K Muneer also congratulated Tharoor.
(Manas Dasgupta)
