As the first Indian-born and non-white prime minister in British history, Sunak, 42-year-old, dark-skinned, fashionable and handsome, not only attracted attention in the UK, but also excited Indians thousands of miles away.

There are many doubts in the UK about Sunak's "picking up bargains" and getting ahead. But in India, most people expressed their "warm congratulations" on his election and regarded him as "his own person." Netizens' hot discussions also put Sunak on the hot search.

Indian Prime Minister Modi called Sunak a "living bridge" of bilateral relations. Modi @Sunak on Twitter on the 24th and expressed his "warm congratulations" to him. He said that he looked forward to close cooperation on global issues, implementing the "India-UK 2030 Roadmap (Roadmap 2030)" and "we are transforming historical relations into modern partnerships."

Modi congratulated Sunak on his election, and the picture screenshot was taken from Twitter

Indian TV station also seems to be proud of Sunak. When New Delhi TV reported that Sunak would be the prime minister, he wrote in the scrolling subtitles on the screen: "The son of India rose in the empire." India Today said: "The hit Britain found a big boss of 'Desi'" ("Desi" is used in Indian language to describe people with Indian background).

picture screenshot from Twitter

Some netizens followed Sunak as a Hindus , praising him for not being ashamed to disclose his beliefs and Indian culture. They posted photos of Sunak lit candles on Downing Street to celebrate Diwali, as well as videos of praying to cows while running for the British Conservative Party leader.

Image screenshot from Twitter

Some people also say that Sunak's becoming prime minister happened on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's independence from British colonial rule, which is particularly special for India. Some netizens said that the UK welcomes the Indian Prime Minister, which is simply a turn of feng shui and "the cycle of history."

"Son of India"?

How does Sunak, known as the "Son of India", feel about India?

In public, Sunak is not shy about talking about his Indian descent, but emphasizes more that he is British.

In an interview in 2020, Sunak said: "I am completely British. This is my home and my country, but my culture is inherited from India."

According to Reuters and other British media reports, Sunak's grandparents are from Punjab in northern India, but they moved to East Africa in the late 1930s, and Sunak's parents were also born in Africa. In the 1960s, the family chose to settle in the UK. Sunak was born in Southampton on the south coast of England in 1980. Since his father is a doctor and his mother runs a pharmacy, Sunak's family has been in good condition since childhood.

Although Sunak was not born in India, he was also exposed that he still held a US green card until last year, but his wife has a deeper relationship with India.

Sunak and his wife, screenshot of the picture is from Twitter

It is reported that Sunak's wife Akshata Murthy is the daughter of the co-founder of Indian software giant Infosys. She is also a fashion designer. Her property is estimated to exceed US$1 billion. Sunak himself is nicknamed the son-in-law of "Indian Bill Gates "." Washington Post " said that the Sunaks are richer than the British royal family.

However, Murtie's identity also caused trouble for her and Sunak. British media previously revealed that Murthy has always retained Indian nationality and is questioned about using his "non-British tax resident" status to avoid taxes.

Indians rise?

From US Vice President Harris , Microsoft CEO Nadella, Google parent company Alphabet CEO Pichai and Sunak, every time the rise of Indians makes Indians proud.

University College, University of London Diplomacy lecturer Avinash Paliwal said in India, Sunak's bloodline will be celebrated and become part of the claim that India has risen to become a global power.

Some British Indians also call this the "watershed" moment. Ravi Kumar, a 38-year-old British Conservative Party member, said that it was impossible to imagine seeing a non-white prime minister in his lifetime.

However, analysts believe that Sunak's rise may not have much impact on British-Indian relations or the Indians in the UK.

Ashok Malik, the head of India's business at the Asia Group, a think tank headquartered in the United States and a former senior adviser to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, believes that Sunak only highlights the success of an influential group in India, which may not affect the relationship between the UK and India.

Sunder Katwala, director of the British think tank "The Future of Britain", also believes that Sunak has important symbolic significance as the British Prime Minister, but unlike former US President Obama , which regards race as an important feature during the campaign, Sunak has not made any comments on bloodline. He believes that this is just a "accidental achievement" or a "normalization of racial diversity in British politics."

According to the latest data from the British government, in 2021, there will be more than 1 million Indians in the UK. In England and Wales , about 86% of the population is white, Asian population accounts for 7.5% and African population accounts for 3.3%.

(editor email: [email protected])

column editor: Yang Liqun Text editor: Yang Liqun Title image source: Xinhua News Agency Image editor: Shao Jing

Source: Author: Qiu Wenhan