London: Conservative Party leader Rishi Singh is set to make history by becoming Pakistan’s first Hindu and the first non-white and Indian-origin British Prime Minister.
42-year-old Rishi Sunak MP was born in Southampton to Hindu-Punjabi parents but his grandparents were born and raised in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
The incoming British Prime Minister is, in a strange way, both an Indian and a Pakistani by heritage. Rishis are practicing Hindus and take their oath of commons on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit text.
Rishi’s grandfather Ram Das Sank left Gujranwala in 1935 to work as a clerk in Nairobi. His wife, Sahag Rani Sank, along with her mother-in-law, moved to Delhi first from Gujranwala, before moving to Kenya with her husband in 1937. . Ramdas and Sahag Rani had six children, three sons and three daughters.
Rishi’s father Yeshweer Sunak was born in 1949 in Nairobi. He arrived in Liverpool in 1966 and studied medicine at the University of Liverpool. Yeshweer married Usha in 1977 in Leicester. Three years later, Rishi was born in Southampton in 1980. His parents ran a successful pharmacy business until their retirement.
“Sunak is a Punjabi Khatri family from Gujranwala, now in Pakistan,” tweeted a Malika Shireni 86, adding: “Ramdas Sunak, Rishi’s grandfather, to work as a clerk in Nairobi in 1935. He left Gujranwala.”
Ramdas’s wife, Sahag Rani, first moved from Gujranwala to Delhi with her mother-in-law before moving to Kenya in 1937, according to Malika Shirni 86, who provided all the details about the family, including the family’s migration. And Rishi was born in Southampton in 1980.
As it became clear that Rishi would become the next Prime Minister, many on Twitter claimed the new British leader.
Shafaat Shah tweeted, “I think Pakistan should also claim Rishi Sunak as his grandparents were from Gujranwala who migrated from there to Kenya and then to UK.” Someone with the Twitter handle as Grand Final wrote: “Wow! What a great achievement. A Pakistani has now climbed to the highest position in England. Anything is possible if you believe.”
Some people said that this is a happy moment for India and Pakistan. “America I am going to sleep with the hope that a Punjabi from Gujranwala will become the Prime Minister of Great Britain in the morning! Both Pakistan and India should jointly be proud of this moment! Yaqub Bangash tweeted.
“Since Gujranwala is in Pakistan, whoever belonged to this city 100 years ago is a Pakistani today,” said Zulfiqar Jatt.
Gujranwala, known for its good food and wrestling culture, is located about 1.5 hours from Lahore.
Before Partition, when Rishi’s grandfather lived in Gujranwala, the city used to be surrounded by at least seven gates, which were used as entrances and exits. Today’s Gujranwala is a bustling, densely populated city surrounded by narrow streets lined with shops selling clothes, jewellery, electronics and other items. Before partition, the city had a large Hindu community.
When communal riots broke out in British India (present-day India and Pakistan), many Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were forced to migrate and migrate. Many Muslim and Hindu families left today’s India and Pakistan for Kenya and other countries.
In Britain, Asian and rights groups hailed Rishi’s rise as promising and the dawn of a new era.
Sundar Katwala, director of British Future, said: “It is a historic moment for Rishi Sunak to become the first British Indian Prime Minister. It would not have been possible just a decade or two ago. It shows that the highest office in the UK is a public one. Service may be open to those of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds.
“It will be a source of pride for many British Asians – including many who do not share Rishi Singh’s conservative politics.”
“Most people in Britain now rightly say that the Prime Minister’s race and creed do not matter.
“They will judge Cynk on whether he can get a grip on the chaos at Westminster, sort out the public finances, and restore integrity to politics. But we must not underestimate this important social change. Should be,” he added.
The 1928 Institute, a University of Oxford-backed British Indian think tank, said: “It is incredible to see a British Indian as Prime Minister. Many of our grandparents were British subjects and now someone of Indian heritage is the supreme leader of Britain. It is really amazing to see in Tarin office.
“It shows how our community has come a long way and will be an inspiration for the next generation, even though some people will still attack Rishi Sunak for its heritage. Breaking that glass ceiling would be a Great achievement but we need more diversity in our government. We will test Rishi on his policies and hope that our shared values ​​like Seva, especially towards minorities and marginalized communities, will lead to his leadership. are part.
