Shashi Tharoor's vocab lesson amid flak over 'drama' remark on Nepal floods

A single word sparked backlash against Shashi Tharoor over his Nepal flood post. The Congress leader has now explained why he used "drama" and admitted he regretted the choice.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor clarifies Nepal flood remark. (PTI/AP)Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday clarified his use of the word "drama" in a post on the Nepal flash floods, saying he had used it in the sense of "a state, situation or series of events involving intensely clashing forces". He also said he regretted choosing a word that could be so easily "misinterpreted".The clarification came a day after Tharoor faced criticism on social media for saying he had been "blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place in the hills" while referring to the disaster in Nepal. Several users called the wording insensitive and questioned his choice of words.In a post on X, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, "For all those fulminating in outrage about my use of the word 'drama' in my first tweet from Nepal, the word does not only mean something theatrical. It is also defined as 'a state, situation or series of events involving intensely clashing forces'." He added, "That's the sense in which I intended it. But I do regret the choice of a word that could be so easily misinterpreted."Tharoor's remarks came after his Thursday post on the Nepal flash floods drew sharp reactions online. In that post, he had said, "Took off for Kathmandu yesterday, blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place in the hills and caused such catastrophic damage." He also wrote, "A severe, sudden flash flood struck northern Nepal's Rasuwa district near the Tibet border, causing widespread destruction along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. Global warming and/or an earthquake in Tibet may have caused a large chunk of a glacier to break off and fall into the valley below, experts surmise."Tharoor had said he learnt on arrival about the loss of life and that some 2,000 or more people were estimated to be missing. He said raging floodwaters had destroyed at least 19 motorable bridges, washed away roughly 40 kilometres of the Betrawati Rasuwagadhi highway, and heavily damaged eight operational hydropower projects. He had also said, "I fully support the Indian government's immediate pledge of relief assistance. Nepal needs all the help it can get." In the same post, he added, "My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones, who include large numbers of Indian tourists, including a hundred performing the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. Prayers for the missing; may they be rescued soon."Despite that broader message, many users focused on his wording. One user said, "Was nature's fury a 'drama'? How can you be so insensitive in your choice of words? What good is knowing the dictionary if you don't know what to say when? Your 'sympathy' seems like the drama here!"Another wrote, "Sir, you are Shakespeare of Indian English. Is the usage of the word DRAMA in the second sentence of the first para appropriate?" A third user called it a "poor choice of words for someone with such a rich vocabulary".Another post said, "Mr Exasperating Farrago -- Is this 'drama'?" while one more user wrote, "Drama?? You are a wordsmith, and this is what you came up with?"Tharoor has now defended the intended meaning of the word while accepting that it could be misunderstood, after his post on the Nepal flash floods triggered a backlash and debate over his choice of language.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 28, 2026 13:40 IST