The Shashi Tharoor Oxford Union Storm Of 2015

Shashi Tharoor’s Case for Reparations

At an Oxford Union debate, Shashi Tharoor argued that Britain owes reparations for the harms of colonial rule in India and other colonies. He rejected the claim that British rule should be praised for leaving behind democracy, law, or infrastructure, arguing that these were introduced after generations of oppression and often served British interests.

Economic Exploitation

Tharoor said colonial rule transferred wealth from India to Britain and damaged Indian industries. He cited India’s declining share of the global economy and trade, and described how British tariffs and the export of Indian raw materials displaced Indian textile workers while promoting British manufacturing.

He also argued that railways primarily moved resources to ports. Indian taxpayers bore the construction costs, while British investors received guaranteed returns.

Human and Wartime Costs

Tharoor pointed to the human toll of colonial policies, including famine deaths and Britain’s diversion of supplies during the Bengal famine of 1943. He also highlighted India’s contributions to the two world wars in soldiers, supplies, and money, arguing that Britain did not repay its substantial wartime debt to India.

Lasting Harm and Reparations

Tharoor contended that colonial rule caused lasting social and psychological harm, including deepening racial, ethnic, and religious tensions. Citing other cases in which states had paid reparations, he argued that the principle mattered more than calculating an exact sum. Reparations, he said, would acknowledge wrongdoing and help Britain atone; even a symbolic payment would be meaningful.

Presenter/contributor: Shashi Tharoor