Why Britons are unhappy with Rishi Sunak

In his defence...

Just over a year ago, I wouldn’t imagine writing this piece and having a sympathetic view of Sunak. But last four weeks have changed that, particularly how British media is taking digs at Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s wife. Many Indians admire the Murthys, Sunak’s parents-in-law, for their humble living and philanthropy. I do, too.

As a scholar of Business History, I also admire Indian capitalists and marvel at their capital-raising efforts for the British throughout the 17th to 19th centuries! I admire Dwarkanath Tagore, grandfather of our Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, and his enterprising zeal, and his equal, bi-racial partnership with the British throughout the first half of the 19th century. But the British still couldn’t include him in ways he strived for. Read Blair Kling’s ‘Partner in Empire: Dwarkanath Tagore and the Age of Enterprise in Eastern India’ for a very interesting biography of Dwarkanath Tagore. Strongly recommended.

Sunak threatens the British political power in similar ways, two centuries later. Many Indians have been in British politics before, but Sunak might be on the cusp of history. He already is, as the first non-white leader in the running for British prime-ministership. Exactly then, the smear campaign begins and ‘‘skeletons’’ start tumbling out of the closet.

Here is my take, let me know what you think.

I also had something interesting to say about Parag Agrawal of Twitter in my last column, do read if your weekend is going lazy. This post had more than 70,000 views in a matter of hours on LinkedIn alone.

On the poetry front, I am happy to be included in Breaking Ground Ireland as one of the writers / illustrators from Ireland. You can read or download it here.

I finally have the CAP anthology in my hands with my poem ‘Sarah Everard’, and the joy has doubled knowing I am the only brown poet in this very-white, very-Irish anthology. Scroll below to read the poem.

Last but not the least, coming up in May, some fantastic details on my research. Stay tuned.

Le meas,

Pallavi.

www.econhistorienne.com