His Dharma is the source of Sunak’s strength

On 4 July 2024, the UK goes to the polls. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party are pitted against the Labour Party. The Labour Party is well ahead in the polls. In an interview in the Sunday Times newspaper dated 16 June, PM Sunak said that his Hindu faith guided every aspect of his life. He said his Dharma taught him to work hard towards a goal but at the same time to stay detached from the outcome. It was his Dharma to serve his country, he said. This shows Sunak’s familiarity with the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna had given the same message to Arjuna—do your duty without being attached to results. Sunak’s Prime Ministership of the UK is nothing short of a miracle. Seventy-seven years after India got independence from the British the UK has a Hindu Prime Minister. He has proudly lit lamps outside 10 Downing Street on Diwali and has Lord Ganesha in his home. This symbolism has revived a pride of our Dharma in the youth.
He has shown great leadership qualities. He is extremely intelligent, daring and a visionary. He has considerably raised the profile of Indians abroad.
Sunak’s grandparents left Punjab for Kenya where his parents were born. They in turn moved to the UK where Sunak was born in the city of Southampton. It is remarkable that tens of thousands of Indian families made the same journey, but kept their spiritual and cultural traditions alive. East African Indians helped build countries like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Their achievements are legendary. From small shopkeepers they have become big industrialists. One example of this success is Narendra Raval, popularly known as Guru. He went to Kenya in 1978 to work as an assistant priest. Today he is a billionaire with ownership of many industries like cement, steel, aviation and many more. His Devki group of companies employs over 11,000 people. The annual turnover of his companies is $650 million. He is well known for his philanthropy, donating huge amounts of money towards education and health care. So integrated are Indians in Kenya that in 2017 the government officially recognised them as the 44th tribe of the country. Ironically, India’s connection with East Africa goes back at least 5,000 years as Pandavas were known to have come to this part of the world.
Not to be outdone, the new generation born in the UK has succeeded in all walks of life. Hard work, lowest crime rate and an ability to adapt are the hallmarks of Indians abroad. Rishi Sunak has shown that there are no glass ceilings that cannot be smashed. He has raised the profile of Indian people and that of Hinduism.
A welcome step that the Indian community abroad has taken is to get active in the political setup of the countries they are living in. Just as in the UK, there will be many other countries where the Indian diaspora will occupy seats of power. We already have an Indian origin Kamala Harris as Vice President of the US.
Inevitably, there will be an NRI leader of a country who will meet the Indian PM to discuss issues like trade, defence and other matters. At that point both leaders will acknowledge their common heritage and also practise their Dharma by protecting and promoting interests of their countries. The current cricket 20/20 World Cup is also an example of NRI Indians representing many countries who are playing against the Indian team. This is becoming a global phenomenon.
The polls for the forthcoming elections in the UK point towards a defeat of Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party. The British media has been blatantly partisan and has whipped up a frenzy of anti-Sunak propaganda. For many in the media, an Indian running the country is unbearable. The opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer is a well-meaning individual, but has not convinced the electorate that he would be competent to run the country.
Whatever the outcome, Rishi Sunak has achieved a lot during his short time as Prime Minister. He is also young and bound to contribute to the British society for a long time to come.
www.nitinmehta.co.uk