British Prime Ministerial Candidate Rishi Sunak has proposed easing the way for British students and businesses to travel to India by changing the relationship between the two countries.
The ex-chancellor addressed the predominantly Indian audience at a campaign hustings event hosted by the Conservative Friends of India (CFIN) diaspora organisation on Monday night in north London with a mix of traditional greetings such as “namaste,” “salaam,” “khem cho,” and “kidda.”
Even in Hindi, he declared, “Aap sab mere parivar ho (you all are my family).
It is not lost on us how important the relationship between Britain and India is. In response to CFIN co-chair Reena Ranger’s question about bilateral ties, he said, “We represent the living bridge between our two countries.”
We need to reframe the relationship with India because the United Kingdom has so much to learn from the country, he said, despite the fact that everyone is well aware of the possibilities for trade and commerce between the two countries.
It’s not just me helping you, he said; it’s a mutually beneficial relationship, and that’s the kind of shift I hope to make. I want to make it simple for our students to study in India, and I want to make it simple for our businesses to partner with Indian ones, he said.
Former minister reaffirmed his stance that “very robust” defences are needed to protect the United Kingdom from China.
When it comes to our national security and, by extension, our economy, he warned, China and the Chinese Communist Party pose the greatest threat in recent memory.
As your prime minister, you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones, as well as the people and property of our country.
The former minister arrived at the Dhamecha Lohana Centre in Harrow to the sound of dhol drums and roaring applause. Following his brief remarks, he spent several hours mingling with the hundreds of Tory members who had waited in line to shake his hand.
Tanish Sahu, eight years old, took a special photo of Sunak holding him in his arms, and the elderly in the crowd blessed him and patted him on the back.
Amita Mishra, a trustee for the Shree Jagannatha Society UK, travelled from India to present a set of gold-plated deities.
Mishra gave the deities to Sunak on stage, saying, “We are working on creating a Jagannath Temple in London and this gift is a special blessing all the way from India.” A pandit appeared and recited a victory shloka from the “Bhagavad Gita” as Mishra sat triumphantly on the throne.
A British Sikh Tory in attendance waited in line for Sunak to sign a bottle of Jack Daniels whisky for him despite the fact that both the former Chancellor and Sunak abstain from alcohol.
I’m not a drinker, but he said, “this was a really thoughtful birthday present,” and now that it’s been signed, it’s a piece of history.
He was the candidate who was behind in the polls, but that didn’t stop him from cruising through the crowd like a rock star and responding confidently to comments like “See you at No. 10 Downing Street” with “That’s the plan, I’m giving it everything I’ve got.”
The vast majority of those present admitted that they had already cast an online vote for Sunak and had only come to this latest hustings to hear him speak again.
A British Indian investment banker with doubts about Sunak’s management of the Bounce Back Loan programme following the COVID-19 lockdowns said that the programme had been “abused” by many people.
Though he wasn’t entirely convinced by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, he admitted that Sunak had a chance to win his support.
However, most people seemed to think that Sunak’s Indian ancestry and minority status didn’t matter in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and British Prime Minister.
In the United States, racism is not tolerated under any circumstances. Conservative veteran Lord Dolar Popat believes that Rishi’s success proves the importance placed on merit.
