Unemployment India's biggest problem, says Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: India’s biggest crisis is unemployment and the country needs to invest more in the tourism sector which hires nearly 10 times as many people as any manufacturing industry, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said. He said that the future of India depended very much on its ability to escape from the politics of identity and the government’s ability to provide answers to the real needs of the people.

“The biggest crisis facing this country is unemployment. I am strongly in favour of measures that will soak up labour problem by offering people realistic and viable alternatives. Channelling government investment into employment-generating businesses,” the Congress leader said. “We have been so laggard in investing in the tourism...The wonderful ruins around our country have remained ruins rather than becoming tourist sites. Tourism hires and employs 8-10 times as many people as any manufacturing industry,” he said. He said the “polarisation politics” of the ruling BJP was anchored in the sense of belonging that comes out of hatred.