Shashi Tharoor on Ambedkar A Life
In this episode, we explore the life of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, one of India’s revered figures, with author Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor’s biography gives fresh insights into Ambedkar’s life and legacy, highlighting the hurdles he overcame in a society that stigmatised his community.
About the Author

Dr Shashi Tharoor
Dr Shashi Tharoor is an author, politician, and former international civil servant, who straddles several worlds of experience. Currently a fourth-term parliament member of Lok Sabha, representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala, India, he previously served as India’s Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External Affairs.
During his nearly three-decade-long prior career at the United Nations, he served as a peacekeeper, refugee worker, and administrator at the highest levels, serving as under-secretary-general during Kofi Annan’s leadership of the organization.
Tharoor is the bestselling author of 27 books, both fiction and nonfiction, and the winner of several literary awards, including a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Sahitya Akademi Award, and Crossword Book’s Lifetime Achievement award.
About the Chair

Saeed Khan
Saeed Khan is a cultural historian and commentator based at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he teaches in the departments of History and Global Studies. His academic expertise includes Islamic and Middle Eastern history, Islamic political thought, and transnational identities. Alongside his academic work, he is a frequent analyst for international media outlets. Saeed is the founder of the Center for the Study of Trans-Atlantic Diasporas, a policy institute focused on ethnic and immigrant communities in North America and Europe.
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