Now, with Rishi Sunak emerging as the frontrunner to succeed Boris Johnson as the conservative party leader and next Prime Minister of Britain, the fast growing stature and importance of Indian diaspora on foreign lands, has once again come in rave discussion, capturing the flying imagination of many. Sunak, has already won two rounds of votes of party MPs for the position, attracting heavyweight support from former cabinet colleagues. His policy of ‘whatever it takes’ to help the people through pandemic as Chancellor of the country, won him immense support from people and party. Earlier, UK home secretary Priti Patel also attracted much of the attention, besides several parliamentarians dominating the political horizon of many countries.
There is a long list of more than two dozen heads of state and heads of government of the sovereign countries who are of full or partial Indian origin. Large countries like US, Canada and other have several Indians, who have ascended to top leadership positions in the government they are representing now including Kamala Devi Harris being current vice president of the United States or the former first Indian origin Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar. According to the Ministry of External Affairs report, there are more than 3 crore NRIs and OCIs residing outside India with around 200+ Indian origin people already serving in their most significant capacity in 15 countries.
Every year around 25 lakhs Indians migrate overseas, reflecting the full multiplicity of the rich Indian social, ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the land of their origin. India has always been sensitive to the emotions of the diaspora and vice-e-versa. Acting in true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the diaspora also bridge in the crevices for wider well being and prosperity.
The current government at the Centre launched a scheme called ‘Know India Program’ in 2016 for diaspora engagement, which helps familiarize Indian-origin youth with their Indian roots and contemporary India. The way Indian Government has been trying to reach out to the people of Indian origin in last eight years and opening up of a new range of opportunities for emerging generations, has inspired them to also explore new avenues and sectors of mutually beneficial interactions, which include investment in India, transfer of skills and technologies and charitable works.
Indian diaspora is one of the richest minorities in many developed countries, lobbying for favourable terms regarding India’s interests out of their love for their country of origin. For example, US has around 4.2 million people of Indian origin and they are the most educated and richest minority. According to the World Bank, the estimated U.S. 87 billion dollar in official remittances was received in India in 2021, which is the world’s largest such flow and amounted to nearly 15% of all such global transfers. People of Indian origin started migrating overseas in large numbers in the 19th century. This migration was driven by the economic compulsions of the colonial powers. Initially, Indians spread to African, Southeast Asia, Fiji and the Caribbean in response to the enormous demand for cheap labour arising immediately after the abolition of slavery in 1833-1834 by the British and then migrated in the midst of the 20th century in search of better life and livelihood to countries like US, UK and others.
Coming back to Rishi Sunak’s race for the Prime Ministership, the road ahead still looks full of thorns and will be closely watched by the political observers as frontrunners in the past stumbled in the end. The new PM is expected to be announced on 5 September. Whoever wins the race, it will be the most diverse and representative leadership contest in UK history.
SHARE
