WHEN Rishi Sunak became the 57th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, there was a euphoria among the Indians and Hindus all over the world which seemed to be sending conflicting and contradicting messages of feeling good for a Hindu and person of Indian origin becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
To me the credit must go to the British people for electing an Indian whose ancestors are from the sub- continent, a Hindu Gujarati. Tracing back Rishi Sunak ancestors, it indicates that they are from Punjab of Gujarati origin who migrated to Africa. Rishi Sunak’s parents then migrated to Britain, with Rishi’s mother being a pharmacist and father a medical doctor.
Rishi Sunak born in Britain became a member of Parliament who took oath on the Bagavath-Gita sending an excitement among all Hindus all over the world. What I don’t understand is that the Hindus should not exhibit fanaticism or racism based on this event while the British people are discarding fanaticism and racism by electing Rishi Sunak as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The British people are torch bearers in educating the people of the world who are divided by race and religion. Everybody seems to be a racist or a religious fanatic, though they may be pinpointing others as being racist or religious bigots.
Rishi Sunak is a very British politician in all ways but a Hindu with ancestors from the Indian sub- continent. As a British politician with the mandate from the people of Britain, he must fulfill the aspiration of his people, not the aspiration of any other country.
So to all Hindus, let’s not become racist and religious bigots. Rishi Sunak must make the United Kingdom great, not India or Hinduism. He is not going to propagate Hinduism and make it great as he is a British politician with the mandate given by the people of Great Britain.
Give the credit and standing ovation to the people of Great Britain who have paved the way by educating the people of the world to be colour blind and religiously insensitive, rather than creating euphoria that a Hindu with Indian ancestors have become the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
K. Tamil Maran (K.T. Maran)
Seremban
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: Reuters
