France/India
Dr Shashi Tharoor, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and writer, was conferred the “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by H.E. Mr Gérard Larcher, Chairman of the French Senate, on behalf of the President of the French Republic, during a special ceremony at the Residence of France.
The highest French civilian award came in recognition of Dr Tharoor’s tireless efforts to deepen Indo-French ties, commitment to international peace and cooperation, and as a long-standing friend of France.
Dr Tharoor is a remarkable personality for the range of talents he has demonstrated throughout his outstanding academic and professional career: be it as a diplomat at the United Nations, where he worked to respond to some of the world’s toughest crises, and served as Under-Secretary-General, as a renowned writer who has authored works imbued with the spirit of a contemporary Indian odyssey, or as a statesman in India. Among others, he has held the portfolios of Minister of State for External Affairs, and Human Resource Development, and has served on key parliamentary standing committees, including External Affairs (chairman, member), and Communications and Information Technology (chairman). He is the author of numerous books of non-fiction and fiction, some of which have been translated into French.
Conferring the honour on Dr Shashi Tharoor, Chairman of the French Senate Gérard Larcher said: “Through his outstanding career as a diplomat, author and politician, Shashi Tharoor has embraced the world with a thirst for knowledge and an intelligence that has led him to live several lifetimes in one, and all of them in service to India and a better world. Dr Tharoor is also a true friend of France, a Francophone with a keen understanding of France and its culture. Through this award which I have the privilege to confer, the French Republic recognizes your accomplishments, your friendship, your love of France, your commitment to a fairer world.”
Receiving the recognition, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) said: “I am immensely honoured to accept the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. As someone who admires France, its people, their refinement, their language, and their culture, especially their literature and cinema, I am deeply humbled to be conferred your country’s highest civilian honour. To my mind, the conferral of this award to an Indian is an acknowledgment of the deepening of Franco-Indian relations, and the continuity of the warmth that has been a feature of this relationship for a very long time. This honour, in a sense, is not just a celebration of individual achievement but also reflects the collective efforts of both our countries in fostering cultural exchange and diplomatic ties, a relationship forged through the pillars of mutual respect, admiration, and collaboration that have allowed this unique association to flourish over the years. I look forward to continuing my own efforts towards nurturing this friendship and promoting further cooperation between India and France, for the betterment of our shared global community and to safeguard the common values that underpin our basic humanity”.Instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour) is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients. The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.
