Dr. Shashi Tharoor honoured with France’s highest civilian award “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor honoured with France’s highest civilian award “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram
honoured with France’s highest civilian award “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur”at the French Embassy by French President Gerard Larcher for his efforts to strengthen India-France bond and dedication to global peace.
As per a statement issued by the French Embassy the acclaim was announced in August 2022 but awarded on February 20 for his dedication to global peace and his friendship with France,
Gerard Larcher quoted that
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,
He further added that
Dr Tharoor is also a true friend of France, a Francophone with a keen understanding of France and its culture. Through this award, which he had the privilege to confer, the French Republic recognises his accomplishments, his friendship, his love of France, his commitment to a fairer world.
Tharoor quoted that to his mind, the conferral of this award to an Indian is an acknowledgement 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,” Tharoor said.
The Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It is France’s highest civilian award that acknowledges extraordinary accomplishments and services rendered to France. It covers contributions in arts, literature, science and public service, among others.
Indians who have been honoured with the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur have been
Durga Charan Rakshit was the first Indian to receive the honour in 1896 Rakshit was for his humanitarian work. Then, Mohamed Haniff – the Deputy Mayor of Pondicherry in French India received it in 1937.
In indepenent India, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan received the honour in 2005. The “Metroman of India” played a key role in constructing the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro.
Cedric Prakash (2006) and Anjali Gopalan (2013), both human rights activists, were given the award next. In 2014, Shah Rukh Khan received the award. Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran received the honour in 2023.
Other names include actors Sivaji Ganesan in 1995, Kamal Haasan 2016 and Soumitra Chatterjee 2017 and industrialist Nadir Godrej 2008, fashion designer Manish Arora 2016 and Wipro founder Azim Premji 2018.
News Edit K.V.Raman
