Mr. Tharoor, why tweet when you can write?

How will one feel about a company whose senior executives give conflicting statements in press release or discuss important company related issues on social networking sites. I am sure an action will be taken against them. Running a country is very similar to running a company. Taking that analogy, I don't find it surprising that Shashi Tharoor's latest tweeting has again landed him in trouble with his party colleagues and own ministry. Tharoor had questioned the tightening of visa rules in the backdrop of the David Headley case by tweeting. He was reprimanded for his gesture by India's external affair minister, SM Krishna.

There is nothing wrong with one expressing his/her opinion in a democracy like India. But being the Minister of State for External Affairs of a country comes with a huge responsibility. The demography of media has undergone a sea change today and social networking site is a gadget that needs to be used carefully. Most of the companies do not allow access to social networking sites in their office as it hampers productivity and nor are the employees allowed to discuss company's decision on Facebook or Twitter. To be fair to Tharoor, he was just voicing his opinion and trying an out of box method to change the system. The issue here is not Tharoor's opinion but the medium and language of expression. Being a seasoned journalist, he could have used the power of his pen to write a column justifying his reasoning or used his excellent oratory skills to do the job. Why make a callous remark in short forms on an informal media which stands exposed to any form of misinterpretation? Now, the valid reasoning behind his remark is somewhat lost and the whole focus has shifted to a non consequential issue.