‘Despite Shared Roots…’: Why Desis in UK Feel Conflicted About Rishi Sunak Rise

Not all "working class" South Asians in the UK feel joyed about Rishi Sunak's rise as the British PM.

Rishi Sunak is the United Kingdom's third prime minister in a year – after Boris Johnson and Liz Truss – and the first PM of Asian origin ever. 

Altered by: Chetan Bhakuni/the Quint

Rishi Sunak’s elevation to 10 Downing Street is “a very significant moment in the history of Britain, but most importantly, for British Indians,” says Nayaz Qazi, director of the Conservative Friends of India. 

After a tumultuous period of political instability, the United Kingdom got its third prime minister in a year – after Boris Johnson and Liz Truss – on Monday, 24 October, and the first premier of Asian origin ever. 

Sunak’s appointment as the British PM is being seen by many in the South Asian diaspora as a breaking of proverbial glass ceiling, a ‘historic moment’ that demonstrates how the highest position ‘may be open to people from all religions and ethnic backgrounds.’ 

There is, however, a large section of the diaspora that does not see Sunak as “one of us,” given his association with the Conservative Party’s anti-immigrant politics and his past as a rich banker who “does not represent the working class.”

‘Heartening To See the Rise of a South Asian’

Qazi, whose organisation “seeks to build stronger links between the Conservative Party, the British Indian community, and India,” argues that Sunak’s appointment “demonstrates how the Conservative Party promotes equal opportunities and meritocracy embedded within the layers of multifaith and multiculturalism.” 

A practicing Hindu, Sunak took his Commons oath on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit text. 

Several British Hindus highlighted the coincidence of the Sunak’s election on the day that the nation’s nearly 800,000 Hindus observed Diwali, the Hindu festival of light and prosperity. 

“It is also reflective that all ethnic minority populations residing in the country are heard and valued,” Qazi posits.  

“It also signifies how the Indian values of hardworking, entrepreneurship, solid education, and strong family values coincide with the ethos of the Conservative Party, which has always championed the Indian – and South Asian – diaspora.”

Nayaz Qazi, Conservative Friends of India

Not just the Indians living in the UK, the British Pakistani diaspora also sees Sunak as someone representing them. While Sunak was born in Southampton, his grandparents were born in a part of a British-ruled undivided India that now falls in Pakistan. 

"Though Rishi Sunak was not elected by people’s mandate, it is heartening to see a South Asian-origin individual, become the prime minister, given the history of colonisation and the atrocities commiitted by the British in the Indian subcontinent."

Adeel Choudhry, 32-year-old British Pakistani

Choudhry, an MBA graduate from the University of London, adds, “It will certainly inspire all communities – especially the British South Asians and ethnic minority communities.” 

‘Nothing Is Going To Change for Us’

For some, attaining the highest position in Westminster – while still an accomplishment for those who belong to an ethnic minority community – is more about mirroring the Conservative Party’s increasingly right-wing ideals than promoting British multiculturalism. 

Sunak himself has taken a hardline stance on immigration, supporting the UK government's controversial Rwanda asylum policy, saying that he will do "whatever it takes to get our partnership with Rwanda off the ground."

Choudhry says Sunak's appointment is a reminder of the colonial times when "our own people" became the enabler of the British rule in the subcontinent.

“… the values of the Conservative Party are at an all-time low. With the appointment of Suella Braverman (and Priti Patel in the past) as the home secretary, it is chilling to see the disturbing rhetoric played out by a coloured person. This reminds us of the colonial times when the English would send police officials and their fogies to do the bidding; it is our own people who were nasty and an enabler of the rule."  

Adeel Choudhry

"Unfortunately, it seems, this is the position Sunak – and others – find themselves to be in. It is a reminder that it is a reluctant appointment by the Gore (Whites) where nothing significant is going to change for the thousands of South Asians living in this country," he adds.   

Choudhry further expressed his concerns about how things might get even worse for Brown people, given then British-Indian home secretary Suella Braverman’s approach to immigration and asylum seekers. 

Among Braverman’s contentious initiatives is her pursuit to reduce Channel crossings and deport asylum seekers to Rwanda to reduce immigration. 

Vikram Visana, a lecturer in political theory at the University of Leicester, tells The Quint that Sunak’s appointment is indeed a moment to reflect and pause for groups that seem to be celebrating the victory of diversity, where only a ‘superficial glass ceiling’ has been broken. 

“There is a significant effort to consciously avoid the questions of how exclusionary institutional structures can be for ethnic minorities while enabling the constant ‘othering’ of racial communities through policies and actions,” Visana says. 

“Representation is a double-edged sword, and also a testament to how to navigate through inherent power structures and racial barriers. Usage of the language of migration that was relevant in the 1970s, virtue signalling, and conspicuous silence indicate a specific kind of political posturing that is homogenous in nature and is reflective of the white Anglo-Saxon culture," he asserts.

"There is cherry-picking of the racial minority by the Conservative Party, who will play out by their rules and enable white majoritarianism. This specific set of politicians from Kenya and Uganda are pro-monarchy, not anti-colonialists.”

Vikram Visana, a lecturer of political theory at University of Leicester

While Sunak's family traces its origin to India, his grandparents moved to the United Kingdom from East Africa with their children. His parents, Yashvir Sunak and Usha Sunak, were born in Kenya and Tanganyika respectively.

‘Cannot Connect With Rishi Sunak’

Some in the South Asian British community are apprehensive of celebrating Sunak’s rise, given his financial background – he is the wealthiest British prime minister ever. 

Advait Kuravi, an 18-year-old first-year student of politics from Birmingham with Indian roots, says: “It is imperative to acknowledge the privileged background he hails from – whether it is the economically wealthy class or his social status from relatively upper caste, or his education.” 

The Oxford-educated former hedge fund manager, who is married to the daughter of an Indian billionaire, has previously boasted about not knowing any “working class” people and, more lately, about moving money from less affluent places to wealthier ones. 

To restore the UK’s fiscal credibility as inflation jumps to a historic 40-year high and the economy is pulled down by rising energy and food prices, Sunak is anticipated to enact significant spending cuts. 

“Sunak represents all of us – especially with people having roots in South Asia. But in politics lately, your financial background matters, especially in the Tory party. And that worked very well with Sunak. Only money speaks in this country.”

Ansar Butt, a postman working at The Royal Mail. 

“Therefore, despite having similar roots, I cannot connect with Rishi Sunak. He does not understand – and relate to – the hardships, struggles, and pain of the ‘working class’ like me,” says Butt, who migrated to the UK at the age of five from Sialkot, Pakistan. 

Kalrav Joshi is a multimedia journalist based in London. He writes on politics, democracy, culture, and technology. He tweets @kalravjoshi_.