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Rishi Sunak's candidature for PM shows us how truly unenlightened the ‘world’s largest democracy is

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Rishi Sunak, a British politician of Indian origin, is in the running to be prime minister of the United Kingdom, representing the Conservative Party. After Kamala Harris’s attempt to be the Democratic Party’s candidate for American president, he is the most recent offspring of Indian-origin settlers in the West to try to reach the political pinnacle.

Britain was once the colonial master of India. From an Indian point of view, the British prime minister is the historical political head of an empire of exploitation – and also, let us remember, an empire of reform. But for British colonial rule, and the rights-oriented struggle for freedom against it, India would not have become a democratic, constitutional republic in 1947, however loudly we claim that the roots of our democracy lie in our ancient structures, whether Hindu or Buddhist.

All major aspects of our freedom struggle and colonial life were linked to the British political system. Particularly from the beginning of the 20th century, agitating Indians considered the British prime minister the symbol of colonial rule, the man to revile or to appeal to.

Given this historical context, that a man of Indian origin stands a realistic chance of becoming the British prime minister shows how the world is changing. At a time when India is experiencing a form of Hindu-nationalist apartheid, Christian Britain is engaged with a prime ministerial candidate who has stated that his religion is Hinduism. As member of parliament (and later chancellor of the exchequer) he took his oath with the Bhagavad Gita.

Now the same Hindu Sunak wants to go to 10 Downing Street. Sunak’s wife, Akshata, is the daughter of Hindu Indian billionaires. Sunak’s wealth is, quite rightly, a point of public debate, since economic and social class have long been features of British politics. But his religion is resolutely not seen as relevant. This certainly points to a notable new level of multicultural tolerance among the British electorate and the political class. In this respect, I suspect Britain is certainly more secular and multicultural than America. If Kamala Harris had presented herself publicly as a Hindu, I suspect she may not have made it to the winning Democratic ticket.

Anglican Christianity is Britain’s state religion. Queen Elizabeth is the head of the Church of England. Yet Rishi Sunak’s desire to be prime minister is not seen as anomalous on grounds of religion.

Back in India, what do the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party think about this Indian-origin Hindu being accepted as a possible prime minister of Britain? After all, they have marginalised India’s Muslims and Christians with a shameless agenda of religious majoritarianism. There isn’t a single Muslim on the treasury benches of either house of parliament, nor is there one in the Indian cabinet. (Under Boris Johnson, Britain had more Muslims in its cabinet than India!)

The RSS/BJP forces constantly boast of Hinduism being the “vishwa guru”. RSS literature is full of attacks on British and also Christian civilisational history, both as crusaders and colonial expansionists. They claim that Hinduism is the most tolerant religion in the world, notwithstanding the caste hierarchy and atrocities on Dalits. And in their historical narrative, even native Indian Muslims and Christians are treated as enemies.

In Britain today, Hindus are a small minority – around 1.6% of the population – and comprise very recent migrants and their descendants. Yet “minority-ism” does not seem to play a major role in Britain’s democratic competition. In the India of the RSS/BJP – or even of the Congress in days gone by – a Muslim or a Christian would not have been accepted as prime ministerial candidate. So much for the tolerance of Hinduism.

Britain bestrode a Christian colonial empire. Yet that Britain now allows Sunak to compete for the top job. No British opposition leader or even his party’s own competitors for prime minister have raised the question of his religion. His wealth, yes. His attitude toward the working class, yes. And his wife’s tax avoidance, yes. All very good questions in a democracy. (These questions, by the way, are rarely asked in India.)

I am agnostic on the outcome of Sunak’s bid. But I do know this: Britain, the mother of parliamentary democracy, is teaching India an important lesson in tolerance and equality. But India, alas, is no longer a country that is allowed to learn.

https://thewire.in/politics/rishi-sunak-british-prime-ministerial-candidate-hindu-india
 
I am not aware of British politics but I assume Rishi Sunak is a good candidate to be PM, As far as I know there is no good muslim candidate in India. India's time will come when it has a good candidate.
 
I am not aware of British politics but I assume Rishi Sunak is a good candidate to be PM, As far as I know there is no good muslim candidate in India. India's time will come when it has a good candidate.

Rishi is a clown, fake who is very rich and is a puppet of the elites not a leader for the people.

He's married to an Indian but isnt Indian or a practicing Hindu. He wakes up, looks in the mirror which reminds him he is brown ,a total coconut.

India will not be having a Muslim PM for a long time., simple reason Hindu extremists are in power and will continue to be the government.
 
Rishi is a clown, fake who is very rich and is a puppet of the elites not a leader for the people.

He's married to an Indian but isnt Indian or a practicing Hindu. He wakes up, looks in the mirror which reminds him he is brown ,a total coconut.

India will not be having a Muslim PM for a long time., simple reason Hindu extremists are in power and will continue to be the government.

There are many versions of a practicing Hindu as they are in Muslims so lets not hasten to conclusions.
 
There are many versions of a practicing Hindu as they are in Muslims so lets not hasten to conclusions.

Its my opinion as he claims to be Hindu but is actions are of a pretending to be white posh bloke.

He wont be PM of UK so nothing to debate really.
 
Britain is teaching us what?
I can’t believe i used to donate to The Wire once what a waste of my money!
 
Its my opinion as he claims to be Hindu but is actions are of a pretending to be white posh bloke.

He wont be PM of UK so nothing to debate really.

I’m sure many Muslims are similar.. his rich father in law itself once was a communist, I doubt he is religious.

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/from-confused-leftist-to-a-compassionate-capitalist-narayana-murthy-shares-what-pushed-him-to-entrepreneurship/1813798/
 
Btw, most RW political experts in India believe Truss is a better choice for India UK relationship.
 
Btw, most RW political experts in India believe Truss is a better choice for India UK relationship.

Well because she has met couple of Indian current Central ministers also anyone along lines are Boris are better for India.

Rishi’s father in law ties are also lol not favoring BJP.

More like this would be better for BJP- UK relationship than India-UK.
 
Btw, most RW political experts in India believe Truss is a better choice for India UK relationship.
That's right.
There is not going to be any major change in UK-India relationship irrespective of the outcome of the race to the top position in London. Rishi’s victory will not be any extra boon and Truss’ rise to power will be no bane to UK-India relationship.

He will have to bend over backwards to prove that he has no soft corner for India or Indian business interests.

We should expect him to play tougher while negotiating the free trade agreement (FTA) with India.

Political, economic, and strategic ties between the UK and India have been on a positive trajectory and are likely to remain.
 
Britain is teaching us what?
I can’t believe i used to donate to The Wire once what a waste of my money!

Are you just going by a clickbaity headline or did you actually read the article? What specifically do you object to in the article ?

You should keep donating. The Wire is still, one of, if not the best independent outlets in the India right now and is much needed in this current media atmosphere where all the major newspapers are being threatened and scared to criticise this government.
 
Can't believe that you used to donate to anti India propaganda.

Well when BJP came to power they were absolutely publishing incorrect right wing self victimizing data through their BJP cell, The Wire wasn’t anti- India before they were only anti-right wing before.
 
Are you just going by a clickbaity headline or did you actually read the article? What specifically do you object to in the article ?

You should keep donating. The Wire is still, one of, if not the best independent outlets in the India right now and is much needed in this current media atmosphere where all the major newspapers are being threatened and scared to criticise this government.

No it’s not , it was against right wing similar to Front-line, The Hindu but at-least it wasn’t anti- India before.

I haven’t donated to them since 2019.

The only true independent journalism was Fountainink and I was sad when they closed down, Indians don’t have it in them for actually reading truly independent reporting.
 
No it’s not , it was against right wing similar to Front-line, The Hindu but at-least it wasn’t anti- India before.

I haven’t donated to them since 2019.

The only true independent journalism was Fountainink and I was sad when they closed down, Indians don’t have it in them for actually reading truly independent reporting.


You are one of the more open-minded indian posters on here who don't blindly follow the ruling party .. hence why it's disappointing to see you use tropes like 'anti-india' and 'anti-national' .. cliches like these are used by Arnab and other right wing media to shut down any criticism of the BJP.

You've completely ignored my question - what do you find objectionable in this article ? Please be specific.

I remember you once saying on PP you wish India had a chinese style dicatatorship because the people are uneducated and too immature for democracy. Going by that comment, you have even poorer opinion of the indian population that the author of this Wire article !
 
You are one of the more open-minded indian posters on here who don't blindly follow the ruling party .. hence why it's disappointing to see you use tropes like 'anti-india' and 'anti-national' .. cliches like these are used by Arnab and other right wing media to shut down any criticism of the BJP.

You've completely ignored my question - what do you find objectionable in this article ? Please be specific.

I remember you once saying on PP you wish India had a chinese style dicatatorship because the people are uneducated and too immature for democracy. Going by that comment, you have even poorer opinion of the indian population that the author of this Wire article !

Like various aspects:
1. Giving credit to British colonialism for democracy in India.
2. Completely ignoring Manmohan Singh, Apj Kalam or even Murmu being of minority who held power. - In Britain its only a possibility he might, in India it has happened.
3. The biggest issue with wire has become self dislike for the country, it’s praising of British while ridiculing Indian democracy is just self hate.


I completely agree India has issues and BJP is a bigot but using a point that some Hindu man in England “can” become PM to disgrace India and that we should learn from them is clutching at straws.

England is still arrogant, that will not change when they mocked an Independent nation of sending us aid is still fresh in my memory.

Did the author maybe England should learn to coexist like India does with 1.4 billion people with different ethnicities?
 
Wire is a portal which sees everything in the world from Hindu-muslim angle. I ain't saying that there aren't problems in India between the 2 communities, but to link that conflict or politics around it with everything that happen under the sun is preposterous.
 
I agree with the basic premise, though this is not restricted to Britain. More like India has a LOT to learn from the evolution in Western principles on democracy and humanity.

I don't like Sonia Gandhi. I'd like to see her son given a shot at PM because I believe he is far rom a pappu and more intellectual and capable than anyone the BJP currently realistically are ready to prop up as PM candidate. Kejriwal is the only one I'd put ahead of RG but AAP have a long way to go before becoming a meaningful national party. Back to Sonia, now that disclaimers have been made. The common themes thrown about when her name comes up are - Italian, Rome, Catholic. It just shows how desperately unwilling we are, to look beyond certain things. In this regard, I think we can even start by learning from within. Look at Tamil Nadu. Some of their greatest icons are not Tamilian by ethnicity. MGR, Rajinikanth, even Karunanidhi is believed to be of Telugu descent. Jayalalitha is an Iyengar from Melukote, Karnataka.

Hardcore BJP fans are quick to complain about love jihad and Christian conversions of the lower castes but are quite happy to take pride in a non-Hindu, particularly a white person, converting to Hinduism. They feel no hypocrisy in encouraging and beaming when some guru establishes himself in the Western world and spreads Hinduism or Indian spirituality abroad. We feel proud of someone who is a powerful person either politically or in tech/business/space in another country. Imagine a westerner trying to be the CEO of a successful startup in India - think we would take as much pride in him as we would in a Sundar Pichai?

Infy founders like Murthy and Nilekani fund a number of leftist publications including far leftist ones like Wire etc via IPMSF.

Good thing you have the likes of Mohandas Pai on your side :srt
 
Like various aspects:
1. Giving credit to British colonialism for democracy in India.
2. Completely ignoring Manmohan Singh, Apj Kalam or even Murmu being of minority who held power. - In Britain its only a possibility he might, in India it has happened.
3. The biggest issue with wire has become self dislike for the country, it’s praising of British while ridiculing Indian democracy is just self hate.


I completely agree India has issues and BJP is a bigot but using a point that some Hindu man in England “can” become PM to disgrace India and that we should learn from them is clutching at straws.

England is still arrogant, that will not change when they mocked an Independent nation of sending us aid is still fresh in my memory.

Did the author maybe England should learn to coexist like India does with 1.4 billion people with different ethnicities?

Wire lives on hating BJP and Modi, without them it won't even exist.
 
I agree with the basic premise, though this is not restricted to Britain. More like India has a LOT to learn from the evolution in Western principles on democracy and humanity.

I don't like Sonia Gandhi. I'd like to see her son given a shot at PM because I believe he is far rom a pappu and more intellectual and capable than anyone the BJP currently realistically are ready to prop up as PM candidate. Kejriwal is the only one I'd put ahead of RG but AAP have a long way to go before becoming a meaningful national party. Back to Sonia, now that disclaimers have been made. The common themes thrown about when her name comes up are - Italian, Rome, Catholic. It just shows how desperately unwilling we are, to look beyond certain things. In this regard, I think we can even start by learning from within. Look at Tamil Nadu. Some of their greatest icons are not Tamilian by ethnicity. MGR, Rajinikanth, even Karunanidhi is believed to be of Telugu descent. Jayalalitha is an Iyengar from Melukote, Karnataka.

Hardcore BJP fans are quick to complain about love jihad and Christian conversions of the lower castes but are quite happy to take pride in a non-Hindu, particularly a white person, converting to Hinduism. They feel no hypocrisy in encouraging and beaming when some guru establishes himself in the Western world and spreads Hinduism or Indian spirituality abroad. We feel proud of someone who is a powerful person either politically or in tech/business/space in another country. Imagine a westerner trying to be the CEO of a successful startup in India - think we would take as much pride in him as we would in a Sundar Pichai?



Good thing you have the likes of Mohandas Pai on your side :srt

Doesn't matter if Mohandas Pai is on BJP's side. As long as the people vote BJP, no Murthy or Nilekeni or Godrej or Agha or Shaw will be able to do anything no matter how many wire like rags they fund.
 
Btw to say Britian is tolerant and equal is hilarious. Atleast it's not tolerant neither equal towards other countries esp non European countries. It's still very much a colonial country, only the form has changed. Colonialism was always more about economics than anything else - use the cheap labour of India/Asia/Africa to make products economically for English people and loot and send royalty (wealth) from these countries back to England. The concept still holds good. Today also, if you are a criminal and you have the money no matter whether drug money or stolen money from banks, if you can get that to England then you can live there legally. The constitution allows you to be a law abiding citizen in England while being a criminal to the rest of the world. London is the largest money laundromats. From Russia to India and from Africa to Pakistan from political to economic fugitives, men wanted for crimes back home all are welcomed with open arms. The best of lawyers, bankers, shell company infrastructure and protection of courts when it comes to extradition requests all is offered at a price. As long as you follow the law in their country and spend money they don’t care whose money you spending and what laws you have broken back home.
 
3. The biggest issue with wire has become self dislike for the country, it’s praising of British while ridiculing Indian democracy is just self hate.

Lol.

I mentioned this in my last post and I am going to mention it again. Are you not the same person that said India should have chinese style dictatorship because indians are too immature and uneducated for democracy ? (I have a habit of making a mental note of any outlandish posts on PP anytime I come across one)

What you said is far more offensive than what some trivial observations made by the Wire author, about India's colonial past. Should I call you an anti-national for what you said ?
 
Wire is No1 anti Hindu media.
I can post lot.

I don't donate to any online newspaper, but I wouldn't t care if they are anti Hindu or anti Muslim or anti Christian. As long as the bias is known up front.

Also I am a Hindu but not a snowflake that some dotcom weboage will cause me to lose my rag.
 
And why would that be

Sunak is too maligned with his poor performance lately.

Also Truss is courting ERG, and the general Tories seem to have lurched to the right significantly.

I do not see how Sunak wins this unless Truss pulls off some stunning stupid moves.

However, between the two, it is clear that Sunak is the more sane choice. He is no hero, but better than the Brexit Queen, Truss.
 
According to the latest Polls, sunak has cut the gap significantly. And only this morning Truss has had to do a massive U-turn. So all is not lost for Sunak yet.
 
Sunak is too maligned with his poor performance lately.

Also Truss is courting ERG, and the general Tories seem to have lurched to the right significantly.

I do not see how Sunak wins this unless Truss pulls off some stunning stupid moves.

However, between the two, it is clear that Sunak is the more sane choice. He is no hero, but better than the Brexit Queen, Truss.

I agree with you but I wanted to ask Josh the question because am sure he believes a polar opposite narrative.

Quiet simply, Sunak was a favourite at one point but his campaign became heavily flawed during this stage, he thinks he is fighting for the public vote when he should have been appeasing the membership, plus no one likes a traitor
 
Lol.

I mentioned this in my last post and I am going to mention it again. Are you not the same person that said India should have chinese style dictatorship because indians are too immature and uneducated for democracy ? (I have a habit of making a mental note of any outlandish posts on PP anytime I come across one)

What you said is far more offensive than what some trivial observations made by the Wire author, about India's colonial past. Should I call you an anti-national for what you said ?

I agree that was heat of the moment due to massive poverty issues but I’m not a seasoned journalist writing for a publication.

I would still link to the post though because of the context, as far as i can remember it was due to poverty.
 
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